
S)Ii co fen i S'fcvreiil 
cHecjina 01tcm« 



Soal'-o|-fll/r'W<> 

ot tl'ic 



N 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
ghelf...C.5S 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



^m 



® ® 



THE 



® ® 



■tZmt 



Wife of Columbus 



GENEALOGICAL TREE 



PERESTRELLO AND MONIZ FAMILIES. 



BY 



NICOLAU FLORENTINO 



REGINA MANEY. 



X^f0* y i*H*HT 



NEW YORK: 

Press of STETTINER, LAMBERT & CO., 

22, 24 & 26 Reade Street. 

1893. 



COPYRIGHT, 

1893. 



TO THE WOMEN OF AMEKICA. 




BOUT a year ago the American Register, of which we 
were for many years the Spanish and Portuguese cor- 
respondent, copied a paragraph from the Inter-Ocean 
to the effect that while tons upon tons of paper had 
been and were being used to glorify Columbus, nobody 
thought of employing a single sheet for the purpose of telling the 
world something about Columbus' wife. 

That paragraph attracted our serious attention. We felt sure it 
must have been penned by a woman. Here were we, right at the 
fountain-head, with exceptional facilities for gathering data about 
that wife — we being not only a Portuguese journalist, but also a friend 
of descendants of her father's family, the Perestrellos, now living in 
Lisbon. Why shouldn't we undertake to find out something about 
this Portuguese woman and the influence she might have exercised 
upon the great navigator ? 

We immediately set about this congenial task, beginning with the 
pedigree of the Perestrello family. 

With that pedigree our difficulties began. Dates and names 
would not agree, yet it seemed impossible that the very Perestrello 
family should be in error concerning their ancestors ! 

Our first step had, of course, been to apply to our friend Senhora 
Donna Eugenia de Souza and her husband, Senhor Sebastian de 
Perestrello, for all the information they possessed. Most courteously 
did they give it, but oh ! it had never occurred to them to compare 
and analyze ; with the easy acquiescence characteristic of these lati- 
tudes, they had taken all the family traditions for granted ! 



IV 

It fell to our lot to dispel long and proudly cherished illusions, to 
our great regret so far as our friends are concerned, but with much 
satisfaction at having been instrumental in demonstrating a few 
historical errors and establishing a few historical facts. Besides, it 
became almost a duty to do so, as we had ourselves unwittingly given 
those errors a still wider circulation. 

In March, 1892, our distinguished and, what is much more to the 
point, most efficient and practical minister at the Portuguese court, 
General George S. Batcheller, thought he could best serve the pur- 
poses of the Special Foreign Agent of the United States Treasury 
Department for the World's Columbian Exposition, Major Fred. 
Brackett, by introducing him to us. 

Major Brackett was accompanied by Mr. Sterling Heilig, of 
Philadelphia, and Mr. Stoddard Dewey. To this last-named gentle- 
man we gave, as a souvenir of his visit to us, the paper written by 
Senhora Donna Eugenia de Souza Perestrello concerning the wife 
of Columbus and her father, Bartholomew Perestrello. 

Before we had positively ascertained those statements to be erro- 
neous, Mr. Stoddard Dewey had made use of them. 

After several fruitless consultations with Senhor Sebastian de 
Perestrello and his family, we decided to apply to our learned friend, 
Senhor Gabriel Pereira, Director of the National Library at Lisbon. 
He furnished us heaps and stacks of Columbus literature — the 
manuscript " Genealogia de Villas Boas/' that treats of all the 
prominent Madeira families of that time; but he opened our Winsor's 
book on Columbus at the page where that author intimates that much 
that was new could probably be learned about Columbus from docu- 
ments, not yet examined, in the Torre do Tombo (the national 
archives). 

That hint of our compatriot, indorsed, so to speak, by the distin- 
guished librarian, was precious indeed ; it became doubly so when 
Senhor Pereira added that "Nicolau Florentino" was just then 
actively engaged in hunting up old documents bearing on the Colum- 
bian epoch in the Torre do Tombo. 



It so happened that the Viscount Sanches de Baena, the highest 
authority in Portugal on matters genealogical, was deterred by a 
death in his family from giving us the assistance we had hoped for ; 
but he sent us a letter of introduction to his friend, the Regent of 
the Bemfica High School, Senhor Antonio Maria de Freitas, who 1 , 
modestly conceals his identity under the celebrated nom-de-plume of! 
"Nicolau Florentino." 

Thus it came to pass that " Nicolau Florentino " and "we" joined 
forces in trying to get at the truth concerning the wife of Columbus. 
And we found it, to the intense disgust, no doubt, of many who would 
much have preferred the legend to the naked historical fact. We 
have established the time and place of his marriage, along with other 
data, and we have found much about Columbus that is entirely new. 

Our little work on the wife of Columbus and her ancestors, 

Italian as well as Portuguese, dedicated to the women of America 

who first thought of including the wife of the discoverer in the 

homage paid him, will soon be followed by a more extensive work on 

Columbus, containing entirely new material lately discovered in the 

Torre do Tombo of Lisbon, and will prove a revelation to the student 

of history. 

Regina Maney. 

Lisbon, September, 1892. 



PEEFAOE. 




HIS present small work is part of a larger one we began 
a year ago, treating of the illustrious navigator 
Christopher Columbus and every matter of interest 
relating to him, including not only his maritime suc- 
cesses, but also his home life. Much has been written 
about the former; the latter, however, had not, up to date, received 
the special notice it deserved, because the difficulties of genealogical 
and biographical investigations were immense. We could only over- 
come them, after this long lapse of time, by gathering many refer- 
ences dispersed among official documents and unpublished manu- 
scripts obtained with much trouble and at no small sacrifice. 

It will be almost impossible for us to present our work complete 
before the next five or six months ; however, that part of it relating 
to Donna Philippa Moniz de Perestrello, wife of Christopher Colum- 
bus, was much advanced. On learning that the women of America 
entertained the laudable purpose to do honor to the memory of the 
great discoverer's sympathetic companion, we at once set about to 
conclude this part of our work. 

We did so with the intention of rendering most sincere homage to 
those ladies who did not forget that at Columbus' side had lived a 
devoted wife, whom a cruel fate had destined to share with him only 
the adversities of his earlier years. Of course we were influenced 
by the patriotic desire to contribute all in our power to glorify the 
memory of a Portuguese lady — a strong bond between Portugal and 
the other countries interested in the commemoration of the centenary 
of the discovery of America. 



Vlll 

Mrs. Regina Maney, who also worked much to obtain items con- 
cerning the wife of Christopher Columbus — and, to her honor be it 
said, with great enthusiasm — consented to join us in our labors, and 
afterward to translate our joint work into English, charging herself 
with the agreeable task of having it reach its destiny. 

We trust that our joint effort may meet with a favorable recep- 
tion, such as is to be hoped for from the great nation that first 
conceived the idea of thus honoring the memory of Columbus. "We 
also trust that the homage we here render the women of America 
will be interpreted as a token of deepest sympathy and respect. 

Nicolau Florentino. 

Lisbon, August, 1892. 






PKELIMISTAKY KEFLECTICOTS. 



V&WtYM 




^sT^g,, 



OR more than a year past we have been trying to define 
the true position of Christopher Columbus in the mari- 
time enterprises of the' fifteenth century, and his rela- 
tions with Portugal, where he married and where he 
laid the foundation for all the honor and glory he 
afterward gathered in the New World. 

This palpitant theme, to-day of the greatest interest and import- 
ance, enticed us more through our desire to form an accurate judg- 
ment on the discussions raised about it than through the ambi- 
tious pretension to be some day able to decide with authority on 
which side reason and truth might be. 

Still, even if the result of our researches and reflections should 
turn out to be so complete as to justify such a presumption, we 
would yet have to be convinced that this, our possible result, would 
meet with a better fate than the studies elaborated by the pens of 
much superior authorities have met with up to date. 

Several of those studies, of great value on account of their exten- 
sive criticism and investigation, although they do not definitely set- 
tle the rigorous outlines of Columbus, have already led us to impor- 
tant conclusions by forming the necessary basis for a future edifice, 
the conscientiously exact compass for a new order of interesting and 
profitable works. 

But what did happen to these very studies ? The same that hap- 
pens to all efforts at rectification of any given point or person of the 
history of any country ; the same that will happen when the inves- 
tigations now being carried on about the famous Genoese shall be 
declared closed, after having perfected his efforts of to-day with the 



triumphal discoveries of to-morrow, without, however, in the least 
detracting from his fame as cosmographer and navigator. 

In our present epoch the historian works for the simple question 
of personal conscience and artistic taste. That is to say, he works 
like all people whose horizons of activity and moral perspective are 
bounded by the walls of an office where they pass a few hours in 
intimate routine life, or the cabinet of an idler who creates a world 
of his own, peopled with cheerful visions of glory. 

Nothing else. The civic reach of his work ; the fecundating qual- 
ity of his mind decimated drop by drop ; the just valuation of his in- 
tellectual strife, in which he must of necessity peruse dozens of pages 
of falsity in order to extract from them two lines of truth, stirring 
up and sifting fables upon fables out of the fireplace of tradition— 
all this, which should insure the historian the ambitioned palm of his 
humanitarian mission, has no meaning for the society of the present, 
which masks its indifference for the searcher after historical truth in 
amiable words and outward show of appreciation. 

For a historian to err in his statements means ignorance of the 
epoch in which he lives and works. But the knowledge and under- 
standing of his times is as indispensable to him as that of the indi- 
vidual he wants to keep before future generations ; that is, if he pre- 
fers to put himself in direct contact with popular spirit instead of only 
occupying a place of honor on a shelf in the library of some savant. 

Thus it comes about that the avowedly harsh and difficult work 
of collecting and assimilating historical facts produces sometimes 
very small results when it comes to preparing these results for pre- 
sentation to the public ; that is, if it be exacted of the historian that 
he conciliate truth with the literary tastes and the ideas of his epoch. 

Here is the difference in the sphere of action between the work of 
a historian who penetrated into cloisters and archives in order to live 
in closest communion with the past, resurrected by him in admirable 
truth of form and palpitation of life, and the other who lives ever 
in the present, in that he will use his burin only to evoke from the 
golden past just so much sound as will suit the taste, the be- 



XI 

liefs, and even the idealism of the contemporaries who are to read 
him. 

The one who wrote, isolated from the world, between rows of 
tombstones, made an artistic reproduction which few are capable of 
admiring and fewer still can understand ; while there is no doubt 
that the one who only sketched history, without losing sight of the 
capricious movings of his epoch, obtained a vastly superior amount of 
sympathy and educational influence. 

There is no disguising the fact that hardly any, or few, morally 
so unwholesome phases like that of the last few years have trav- 
ersed our society. This is due to the excessive development of the 
nervous system over the muscular one. We even applaud those who 
search in a suicide for the romance that is not to be encountered in the 
hard reality of life, unless it be philtered across fantastic pages which 
were thus changed into an indispensable article to point a moral. 

Under such conditions what result can a work on historical recti- 
fications expect — a work cold by reason of its documents, traced 
at right angles, and proclaimed in austere and cathedratical voice, 
natural consequence of conviction of truth and indignation at false- 
hood ? 

When public opinion in its growing morbidness becomes more and 
more thirsty and insatiable after legends and fictions, who will dare 
to hope for victory by destroying part of its fatal repast ? 

The one who presumes to do so will certainly have to take into ac- 
count two things : the offensive doubt of the intentions that animate 
him, and the necessity he will be placed under of having to corrobo- 
rate officially even the most minute circumstances that help to de- 
stroy the legend, though that legend was taken hold of and para- 
phrased without any proof, document, or witness even ! 

And, when he finally has gained his point, society will say: 
" Very good ; it seems that you did not tell a lie. But do keep your 
truth to yourself. Nobody asked you for it, and I prefer the false 
traditions of my forefathers. " 

Of a truth, in almost every case we have seen one legend substi- 



Xll 

tuted by another in the dominion of tradition registered in old as 
well as modern writings. Only rarely have we seen a legend sub- 
stituted by history, and then never in the hearty, enthusiastic fash- 
ion of the former. 

There are pages of conscientious indication and posthumous jus- 
tice, but they represent hardly more than a personal declaration, and 
as such are of personal value only, depending on discretional quota- 
tion of either optimism or pessimism. 

The very corrections of ephemerides, that by the changing of an 
algarism would in no wise alter the essence of a fact, as happens in 
many cases, have not been able (except in a very few instances) to 
overcome the passionate obstinacy with which the public will cling 
to the transmission, verbal or written, of the time-honored stories, 
once it has accepted them. 

We do not expect that our work on Columbus will meet with a 
better fate than others published up to date on the same subject. 
So far we are not much ahead of them in our researches, if we ex- 
cept the confirmation of some doubtful points, and the more correct 
boundary lines of the Portuguese seas and colonies as against those of 
Castile in the times of Christopher Columbus and his son Don Diego. 

We prefer, however, to sacrifice the occasion that offers to pub- 
lish these notes now to the duty we feel under not to close our in- 
vestigation precipitately. We decided only to detach the part that 
refers to the Moniz and Perestrello families, from the alliance of 
which issued Donna Philippa Moniz de Mello, wife of the illustrious 
navigator. 

It is a patriotic sentiment that animates us in arriving at this de- 
cision. We desire to participate in the joys of the Spanish peoples of 
both hemispheres, to whom the Portuguese are allied by the ties of 
language and consanguinity. 

If Portugal cannot, as Spain can, boast of having associated her- 
self with Christopher Columbus in his crusade to the New World, 
and though there might still be some who would like to throw doubts 
upon her glorious daring in all maritime enterprises, Portugal nev- 



Xlll 



ertheless is intimately associated, through the very best of her blood, 
with the man who, after four centuries of a great historical record, 
is going to have the most stirring and stimulating apotheosis of mod- 
ern times. 

The festivities in honor of Columbus, husband of Donna Phi- 
lippa Moniz de Mello, aside from their veritably universal character, 
cannot but cause in the Portuguese heart the holy and intimate re- 
joicing of a " Festa de familia "1 

Nicolau Florentino. 
Lisbon, July, 1892. 



THE WIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 




THE MONIZ FAMILY, THEIR ORIGIN, GLORIOUS HISTORICAL RECORD, 

AND PEDIGREE DOWN TO DONNA ISABEL MONIZ, 

THIRD WIPE OP BARTHOLOMEW PERESTRELLO, 

AND MOTHER-IN-LAW OF CHRISTOPHER 

COLUMBUS. 

HE name of Moniz, during the first year of its appear- 
ance in Portugal, figures only in its legitimate deriva 
tion as patronymic of the valiant Dom Muninho Vie- 
gas, called " The Gascon " from his being a native of 
Gascony. Dom Muninho came to Portugal during 
the reign of Don Ramiro III. , King of Leon, accompanied by two 
sons, who left a no less glorious name than their father in the in- 
trepid conquest of the lands along the Douro. ] 

The naturalization of the Moniz family coincides with that of 
the family Guedon, also a French name, 2 which changed into Guedes. 

1 These two sons were called Egas Moniz and Garcia Moniz, names which 
were also used later on by other persons of this family. The Count of Bar- 
cellos and others affirm that with this Dom Muninho came also a brother of 
his, Dom Sesinando, who became bishop of Oporto. Those same authors 
further assert that Egas Moniz, married to Donna Toda Hermiquez Alboasar, 
a descendant of Dom Ramiro, is the grandfather of Egas Moniz, tutor and 
governor of Portugal's first king, Dom Affonso Henriques. 

2 "Armorial Uuiversel," par Mr. G-ouffroy d'Eschavanes, Paris, 1844, vol. 
i., page 205. 



2 

Dom Muninho was married to Donna Valida Trocosendes, daughter 
of Trocosendo Guedas, the name into which Guedon had already- 
degenerated owing to various alliances, Dom Trocosendo being the 
recognized founder of the Portuguese family of Guedes. 

The vigorous blood of the Gascon, however, did not confine it- 
self to the small territorial limits of Portugal, at that time striving 
1 for national life and independence from Spain. 

In the roving, ever-changing life of the peoples of the Iberian 
Peninsula, which life they characteristically more or less always 
continued in spite of the political line laid down by the Count Dom 
Henrique (a line enlarged and consolidated by the successors of this 
prince), the Monizes, like many others, spread themselves over the 
land, as far even as the Pyrenees. If, by way of contrast as it were, 
we were to follow them in the changes brought about by the adven- 
turous spirit of that period, we should certainly find in Gascony, the 
native country of Dom Muninho, blood relations of his, proud of 
being heirs of his name and fame. 

As it is, even in the thirteenth century the name of Moniz was 
a distinguished one in Castile, the genealogical root being clearly 
established. The following century furnishes us, among others, proofs 
of how the Monizes sustained in Castile, as well as in Portugal, the 
moral inheritance of their glorious progenitor, those of Dom Diogo 
Moniz, Master of the Order of San Thiago, in 1306, and of Dom 
Pedro Moniz, 1 Master of the Order of Calatrava and later on of 



1 Some writers call Pedro Moniz de Godoy, Pedro Nunes, because they 
adopted the usual ancient method of preferring the patronymic Nunes, de- 
rived from Nuno Fernandes, father of the valiant Master of San Thiago. 

During several centuries it was the custom in Portugal to call the children 
after the baptismal name of the father. For instance : Moniz, derived from 
- Moninho; Gonzales, f rom Gonsalvo ; Alvares, from Alvaro ; Henriques, from 
Henrique ; Adef onsiades, from Aff onso. Dom Sancho I. of Portugal, son of 
Dom Affonso Henriques, is designated in the old state papers as Sancho 
Adefonsiades. In this particular the Portuguese -closely followed the exam- 
ple of the old Latins, the language of both peoples being most intimately 



San Thiago, which position of high honor he held up to his death 
on the 5th of October, 1385, on the battlefield of Valverde, where he 
and the Master of Alcantara commanded the Spanish army, while 
Dom Nuno Alvares Pereira led the Portuguese forces. 

It is, however, no easy task to establish a strict line of succession 
from Dom Muninho down to the end of the fourteenth century. In 
. the early years of the Portuguese monarchy it preserved itself toler- 
ably clear, several writers asserting even that Mem Moniz (from 1130 
to 1160), brother of Egas Moniz the Blessed, already used the coat- 
of-arms of the Moniz family. However, even if we admit this fact, 
nevertheless, and in spite of it, in those times the name was still 
patronymic 1 

The Moniz family, whose ancient splendor had perhaps dimin- 
ished somewhat in course of time, were lost sight of temporarily, 
absorbed into various alliances with other families, such as the 
Athaydes, the Alvarengas, the Coelhos, 2 etc. ; only with the bril- 
liant dawn of the fifteenth century appear the first links of a genea- 
logical chain never to be interrupted again, in spite of the powerful 
intermingling with other blood to which it was necessarily subjected. 3 

related. Whenever there was any difficulty in forming a surname for the 
son out of the baptismal name of the father, they had recourse to the name 
of the grandfather; for instance, Alcides, that is, Hercules, grandchild of 
Alceus.— R. M. 

1 Egas Moniz also was son of a Muninho, Muninho Hermiquez. 

The coat-of-arms of the Moniz family is : On a blue field five golden stars, 
forming a Saint Andrew's cross, and for crest a blue leopard with a star like 
those on the escutcheon on its head. 

2 In the most authentic writings on nobility we read that of the known 
descendants of Dom Muninho Viegas, 4 ' The Gascon, " a Dom Martinho Viegas 
entered the Athayde family, joining their name to his. This Martinho 
Viegas de Athayde is supposed to be a grandson of Egas Moniz, and it is 
demonstrated beyond any doubt that he was the sixth ancestor of the first 
Count of Athougia. 

3 Moreover, among other historical vestiges which go to prove that the 
absorption was not complete, we will note the following : Frey Marcos da 



At that epoch .we meet with three Monizes : the two brothers 
Vasco and Garcia Moniz, and their sister, Donna Leonor Moniz. The 
first, Vasco Moniz, is the starting point of an uninterrupted succes- 
sion of Monizes, to which belongs Donna Isabel, wife of Bartholomew 
Perestrello. We shall return to him anon. 

The second we named — though in point of fact he was the last in 
order of birth — Garcia Martins Moniz, was celebrated for his great 
loyalty and military valor. The expedition to Ceuta once planned, 
Garcia Moniz distinguished himself by his energetic activity in the 
preparations for the enterprise, and accompanied to Africa Dom 
Henrique, whose first years he had guided with watchful solicitude, 
never leaving him for a moment, whether as watchful guard in the 
indiscretions of his youth, or as devoted companion in the perils of 
his toilsome manhood. 

Many and successive proofs of devotion, accompanied by the halo 
of the prestige accorded him as a swordsman of the first rank, gave 
Garcia Moniz an immense moral influence over the Infante, which 
influence revealed itself, together with the prodigious strength of his 
arm, in the following episode of the taking of Ceuta: Dom Henrique, 
accompanied by some men-at-arms, burst through the portals of the 
city, and found himself involved in the skirmish which arose be- 
tween the Moors and the first Portuguese that had entered. A mo- 
ment came in which the fight turned to serious disadvantage for the 

Silva, the chronicler of St. Francisco, as well as divers other authors, write 
that in the first cloister of the convent of San Francisco in Lisbon, on going 
down the stairs leading from the porter's lodge to the left, and leaning 
against the arch of the chapel, could be read in Latin the following inscrip- 
tion, which we give here in English : 

' ' In honor and praise of the King of Kings and the Most Blessed 
Virgin Mother, and of the Blessed Paranymph Gabriel, Archangel, 
John Moniz, priest and treasurer of the most illustrious King of 
Portugal, built this cloister, chapel, and chapter, and may his soul 
rest in peace. 1310 . ' ' 
This date, 1310, is equivalent to 1272 from the birth of Christ. 



Portuguese, because the Infante, thrusting himself into the streets of 
Ceuta, found himself face to face with a troop of the enemy that 
would surely have crushed him, being in much superior numbers to 
our forces. The news even spread outside the walls that Dom Hen- 
rique ' had fallen mortally wounded in the combat. 

Garcia Moniz, who was standing by the side of Dom John I., on 
hearing such news uttered a roar of vengeance, rushed, wild with 
grief and despair, through one of the gates filled with slain, cut his 
way through them like one of the legendary archangels of combat, 
until he came upon the Infante, who, so far from having fallen, al- 
most single-handed disputed with the Moors their flash of victory. 
He disentangled the Infante from the assailants who were gradually 
narrowing the circle around him, took him severely to task for his 
temerity, and succeeded in rescuing the young prince from the dan- 
ger which had intoxicated and rendered him deaf to all the counsels 
of his other companions. This heroic act obtained for Garcia Moniz 
the friendship of Dom John I. and the admiration of every one who 
had witnessed it. 

However, nothing more do we know of the brave Portuguese ex- 
cept his prodigious prowesses in combat and his intimate relations 

1 Some Poz'tuguese writers lately discussed and threw doubts over the 
glories of Dom Henrique as the grand promoter and soul of the maritime 
enterprises of Portugal. In defence of the Infante, however, arise, apart 
from old and modern historians of authority, official documents that the most 
aggressive and destructive critics will never be able to set aside. The people 
who hold him responsible for the misfortunes of his brother Dom Pedro, re- 
gent of the kingdom during the minority of Dom Affonso V. , and those of 
his other brother, Dom Fernando, who died a prisoner in Tangiers, are the 
only ones who may have some ground for their accusation. Love for his 
family was at an early age absorbed in the heart of the Infante Dom Hen- 
rique by the ambition to aggrandize his country beyond the seas. 

Should this accusation be proved, a very unsatisfactory note will be the 
result as far as the character of the man goes ; but the grand profile of the 
hero to whom Portugal owes the most eminent services will remain on 
the page of history in undiminished glory to be eternally venerated. — R. M. 



with the Infante Dom Henrique. We do not even know whether he 
was married or left succession. 

Donna Leonor Moniz became the second wife of Gil Ayres, pri- 
vate secretary of the Condestavel Dom Nuno Alvares Pereira, and 
his first standard bearer. Different opinions exist, however, as to 
this latter fact. Gil Ayres was buried in the monastery of the Carmo 
in Lisbon, in the chapel of Our Lady of Pity. ' 

From this marriage issued four sons, who were largely and honor- 
ably represented in the military and naval enterprises of Portugal in 
the fifteenth century. 

We will only specialize Vasco Gil Moniz. His second wife was 
Donna Leonor de Lusignan, who came from Castile as lady-in- 
waiting to the Infanta Isabel, wife of the Infante Dom Pedro, Duke 
of Coimbra. Donna Leonor was a daughter of Phebo Lusignan, a 
descendant of the kings of Cyprus. It is from this lateral branch of- 
the Monizes that descends the great patriot Phebo Moniz, who in 1580 
distinguished himself by his indignation and his fearless rising 
against the vile delivery of the kingdom into the hands of the des- 
potic Philips. 2 

Ending with this digression, which we think ought not to have 
been omitted, we return to Vasco Martins Moniz, in whom we find 
once more the genealogical thread of Dom Muninho Viegas, never 
again to be lost, down to Donna Isabel Moniz. 

Vasco Moniz was a noble of great renown in the reign of Dom 
John I. He was comptroller of the household of the Infante Dom 
Henrique. He also assisted, like his brother Garcia, at the siege of 
Ceuta, coming in for a large part of the glory there obtained by the 

1 This chapel was built by Gil Ayres, and passed, he not having any chil- 
dren by his first wife, to his descendants by his second one, Donna Leonor 
Moniz. 

2 Phebo Moniz was buried in the chapel erected by his ancestor, Gil Ayres. 
The counts of Sampaio are to-day the direct descendants of the famous Portu- 
guese through a great-granddaughter of his, Donna Luiza Moniz de Torres e 
Lusignan, who inherited in direct line the house of the last Phebo Moniz. 



Portuguese. He married Donna Beatriz Pereira, daughter of Paio 
Pereira, noble of the royal household, and of Donna Leonor For- 
mosa. He had four sons, the line of succession continuing in the 
first-born, Henrique Moniz. 1 

Henrique Moniz, governor of Silves, married twice, his second 
wife being Donna Ignez Pereira, daughter of Dom Diogo Alvares 
Pereira. 2 

From this marriage issued five children, and it was the second in 
the order of birth, Vasco Martins Moniz, 3 who went to the island of 
Madeira, which had then already become a centre of considerable in- 
dustrial activity and a sort of encampment for the exploration of the 
African coasts, as well as a station for sounding the way that might 
lead to the coveted regions of the Orient. 

Vasco Moniz, father of Donna Isabel Moniz, the wife of Barthol- 
omew Perestrello, was not one of those vulgar adventurers wh 
at that epoch roved over " terra marique " in search of fortune*. 

1 One of those four sons, by name Vasco Moniz, married Donna Al- 
donga Cabral ; from this union sprang Donna Joanna Pereira, wife of the 
first Viceroy of India, Dom Francisco dAlmeida. The Marquises of Augeja 
descend from Vasco Moniz. Donna Beati'iz, or Brites, Pereira was not a 
legitimate child, but her legitimation is to be found in the respective regis- 
ter, vol. iii., p. 105. 

s Diogo Alvares Pex'eira, cousin of the Condestavel, Grand Master of the 
Order of San Thiago, and governor of the household of the Infante Dom 
John, son of the King Dom John I., married Donna Mecia de Rezende, lady- 
in-waiting to Queen Philippa; she was a daughter of Fernan Vasques de 
-Rezende, and bore her husband three children, two daughters and a son. 
The eldest, Donna Isabel, became the wife of Dom Alvaro de Casti'o, govei'- 
nor of Sabugal, known under the cognomen "He of the Tower." The 
second daughter, Donna Ignez, married Gongales Nuno Baretto, governor 
of Faro. The son, Affonso Pereira, master of the hounds to the king, in- 
herited as his first wife's marriage portion the governorship of the fortress 
of Santarem, near Lisbon. 

' From Vasco Martins Moniz proceed the so-called Madeira Monizes. The 
so-called Algarve Monizes descend from Gil Ayres. — R. M. 



Through the intercession of his father he entered, still very young, 
the service of the royal household, where he held the position of 
gentleman groom attached to the gentlemen-in-waiting. He was 
much esteemed by Dom Affonso V. , in the train of whom he fought 
in the African wars, so renowned in those times through the con- 
quests of Alcacer-Ceguer, Tanger, and Arzilla, taking part to the 
last in the fate of the unhappy monarch. 

He installed himself in the city of Machico, where he distin- 
guished himself among Portuguese and foreigners by his generosity, 
his noble bearing on all occasions, and the princely style of living in 
his house, the commodities and attractions of which, however, did 
not enervate him ; on the contrary, whenever the king or the coun- 
try claimed his services, he left his family to aid with his arm and 
very often with his purse. 

Vasco Martins Moniz deserves the veneration of posterity on many 
accounts ; but there is, above all, one trait in his character, so rare 
and sublime, so superior to any conquest by sword or compass, that 
we will not follow him as minutely as we did his ancestors on the 
battlefield, in order to more leisurely admire him as a man, in the 
love he bore his mother. Under the armor of the warrior beat the 
tender heart of a child in its most filial devotion. 

"Whether engaged in the absorbing attentions required of him in 
battles, or enjoying the tranquil life at his mansion, surrounded by 
his numerous progeny, Vasco Moniz always remembered with liveli- 
est gratitude the woman to whom he owed his life, and from whose 
side the tempestuous agitations of the times had early separated him. 
His lifework left him but few moments to console her in her tearful 
widowhood and anxiety about her absent sons, whom the vicissitudes 
of life had torn from her side. In his last years, the quietest of his 
eventful existence, Vasco Moniz often went to visit his mother, Don- 
na Ignez de Menezes, at the city of Torron, where she lived to ex- 
treme old age. Vasco, feeling that his end was approaching, gath- 
ered up his remaining strength in order to cross the sea, left the 
noisy life of Machico, and took refuge with his mother. He died in 



her arms, leaving a will signed and sealed, dated September 5th, 
14S0, in which he entailed- the third part of his estate for his first- 
born son. 

He was married three times, always in the island of Madeira. 
The first marriage was without issue ; of the second there were born 
three sons, who did nothing to break the records and traditions of 
their ancestors. His third wife was Donna Juanna Teixeira, the 
legitimate daughter of the celebrated Lancarote Teixeira," Velho m 
(the old man), and of Donna Beatriz de Goes, thus being on the pa- 
ternal side grandchild of the valorous navigator, Tristan Vaz, 2 on the 

1 Langarote Teixeira, the founder of a most numerous and distinguished 
family, was a son of Tristan Vaz, one of the heroes of Tangier and Ceuta, 
and companion of Zarco in the discovery of the Madeiran archipelago. 

Langarote Teixera was an admirable typical reproduction of the great me- 
diaeval knights, and enjoyed universal fame in the arts and accomplishments 
of knighthood. High personages nocked to Machico, the city where he re- 
sided, to learn from and to admire him in the brilliant tournaments which 
took place between Machico and Santa Cruz, his enormous fortune permit- 
ting him to give the greatest pomp and brilliancy to these manly sports. 

* Tristan Vaz, gentleman of the household of the Infante Dom Hen- 
rique, and donee (having received it as a gift from the crown) of the juris- 
diction over Machico, was a celebrated navigator as well as a warrior. He 
accompanied the Infante in divers journeys to Africa, performing acts of 
high courage at the storming of Ceuta and the siege of Tangier, where Dom 
Henrique himself knighted him. On this prince's turning his attention and 
prodigious activity toward the enterprises that unveiled to Portugal the pre- 
cious secrets of the deep, he encountered in Tristan Vaz one of the most 
zealous assistants in his immortal work. 

In 1418, while sailing in company with Gongalves Zarco, Tristan Vaz dis- 
covered the island of Porto Santo, and in the following year that of Ma- 
deira. 

One of his seven daughters, Donna Anna Teixeira, was the cause of 
Tristan Vaz committing a cruel act which drew upon his head the gravest 
consequences. Donna Anna and a young noble, by name Simon Barradas, 
loved each other with ardent affection, but the father opposed a most deter- 
mined resistance. The young people continued to see each other by stealth, 



10 

mother's side of Dom John de Rego and of Donna Brites de Goes, 
of the family of the well-known Portuguese chronicler, Damian de 
Goes. 

The third marriage of Vasco Martins was a most prolific one ; 
some of the sons, as for instance the titular bishop of Anel, Dom 
Christoval Moniz, upheld and amplified the parchments of this most 
ancient family by most elevated personal bravery and gallantry, 
penetrated as they were with a sense of the duty they owed their 
country and the memory of their ancestors as heirs of their name 
and their wealth. 

Vasco Martins Moniz also left an illegitimate son, Vasco Moniz 
Barreto by name, who became a doctor-at-law and was highly ap- 
preciated in his profession. 

One of the fruits of the third marriage was a daughter, Donna 
Isabel Moniz, third wife of Bartholomew Perestrello, of whom we 
shall treat more particularly when we record the life of her husband. 

until one* day Tristan, coming upon them, caused the young man to disap- 
pear without any one's knowing of his fate nor the cause of it. Years after- 
ward it was discovered that Donna Anna's lover had been thrust into a 
large subterranean vault, where he had been subjected to the hard and de- 
grading punishment of the mill, seated on an ass, until he died. The case 
was reported to the king, who ordered Tristan to appear before him immedi- 
ately, accompanied by bis daughter Anna. 

Both came. The king gave Donna Anna in marriage to a noble under 
his protection, and ordered the father to be put in irons. Shortly after the 
latter was tried and sentenced to lose his governorship, besides being exiled 
to Prince's Island. On the expiration of his term of exile he returned to 
Portugal, where his great age and the remembrance of his past services 
finally moved the king to pardon him and to give him back Machico, which 
he again governed for some time until he died, in 1470, at Silves, in the pro- 
vince of Algarve, whither he had gone on family business. He was 85 
years old at his death, having been born in 1385. 



II. 



GENERAL APPRECIATIONS CONCERNING: THE FOREIGN ELEMENT IN 
PORTUGAL — THE FIRST KNOWN ANCESTOR OF THE PERES- 
TRELLO FAMILY — HISTORICAL-GENEALOGICAL INFOR- 
MATION CONCERNING THIS ITALIAN FAMILY IN 
PORTUGAL — BARTHOLOMEW PERESTRELLO, 
FATHER-IN-LAW OF CHRISTOPHER 
COLUMBUS — HIS TRADITIONS 
AS NAVIGATOR AND DIS- 
COVERER OF THE 
ISLAND OF 
PORTO SANTO. 

N the history of foreign immigration into the Iberian 
Peninsula we note two distinct and characteristic 
movements. One, coming from France, crossing the 
Pyrenees, predominated during the long and difficult 
gestation of the modern Iberian states. The other, 
with its focus in Italy, and transmitted through the Mediterranean, 
accompanied them in their age of virility, and followed them 
through the seas, thus opening their territorial circle to the furthest 
regions of the globe. France is grandly represented in Peninsular 
history by reason of its efficacious fellow-soldiership in the wars 
against the Moorish dominion, just as is Italy through the great 
transatlantic explorations of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. 
In the strifes out of which it was born, Portugal opened to the first 
a field of triumphs and the way to the best individual interests ; 
constituted afterward the first maritime and commercial emporium 
of Europe, it offered Italy a new attraction which enabled it to 
recover part of its old tradition of " Queen of the Seas/' and also 




12 

opened a field of productive activity for its most varied personal 
ambitions. 

"We specify France and Italy in those two immigratory move- 
ments, because both nations occupied, respectively, the most promi- 
nent place in them. The relations of both powers with us were always 
of a friendly character, and sometimes sincere — a matter for admira- 
tion in epochs of less scrupulous strife after fame and fortune ; and, 
finally, because, aside from their pronounced moral influence, their 
blood was infused into ours, undoubted vestiges existing to this day 
all over the country. 

On this side of the Pyrenees, in spite of the political division and 
of divers dynastic disturbances, the changing about of the people 
was so continual, and so well recognized was the mutual assistance 
rendered each other in different collisions by the Portuguese and the 
Spanish people, that really, in this case, tb.e Portuguese cannot con- 
sider Spain a foreign nation. 

"While calling attention to the rare sincerity of the international 
relations with those two countries, collectively or individually con- 
sidered, we will leave to be inferred numerous exceptions, which 
we shall take care not to particularize, though it would be an easy 
matter for us to do so. 

Since the very beginning of its national existence, Portugal, in 
most cases, was not treated with the generous and fraternal con- 
fidence with which it opened its arms to foreigners, never exacting 
passports or credentials. 

Portugal gave them always affectionate shelter, afforded them 
advantageous matrimonial alliances, furnished them with material 
for work, opened them the way to large fortunes, and gave them 
titles of nobility as a finishing touch to its profuse hospitality. 

The Portuguese people never established odious differences be- 
tween those who fought fraternally at their side, by land and by 
sea, and those who only explored the many sources of wealth of the 
country in different branches of business, from dominions and com- 
manderies to marriage alliances with the great houses. The hero 



13 

and the business man alike always were made welcome. The way 
to realization of their aspirations was made easy alike to the one and 
to the other, without inquiry as to whence they came, or scrutiny as 
to their intentions. 

Did they assert they were nobles of the highest extraction, im- 
mediately, without any further ado, they were furnished with an offi- 
cial document, a sort of passport, which opened to them the portals of 
the great mansions where large marriage portions were to be met, 
and which led them to the employments and emoluments of the pub- 
lic treasury, then always full to overflowing, like Amalthea of old. 

They were not nobles, or had no one that would accredit them to 
be such ? The royal munificence discovered a service or generically 
invoked services, so as to be able to give them parchment diplomas 
and to adorn them with a coat-of-arms. 

" Many came to these kingdoms covered with lice, and went away 
adorned with finest clothes, like coxcombs," says an old writer. 1 

That they should have left Portugal dressed like fops, very well 
— much good may it have done them ! Lucky those on whom for- 
tune smiled in alien land, their adopted country. But the worst is 
that this land of their adoption, the subject of the nicest rhetoric, 
not very seldom received ingratitude and discredit in payment of 
its confiding hospitality. 

An extremely docile, sociable, and confiding temperament draws 
upon nations the same fatal consequences as upon persons. The 
man who opens wide his doors to a stranger and admits him to the 
intimacy of his home, in nothing differs from a nation that permits 
a strange element to enter its organic mechanism, that element pos- 
sessing neither affinity of sentiments nor community of interests. 

In such a case the whole thing is a game at hazards — the chances 

1 This transcription of an old text, and the reflections the author makes 
upon it, are much more opportune than would appear at first sight. We 
believe they were inspired much on account of what happened at the epoch 
mentioned, but much more on account of more recent events, of which the 
Portuguese press has treated with as much firmness as indignation. — R. M. 



14 

of winning are inferior to those of losing ; so much inferior are they, 
indeed, that small is the percentage of those who were of advantage 
to Portugal in this process of acclimatization of exotic beings. 

During many centuries Portugal experienced, and it is still expe- 
riencing, the demonstrative results of this profound truth. Many 
services has it received from foreigners, but it can proudly affirm 
that it has paid them to the full, save, naturally, the exceptions there 
might be, through force of circumstances, that began by making 
victims of the most eminent Portuguese. Few, however, gratefully 
acknowledged the reception and the services Portugal rendered them ; 
or, if they did remember them, it was only to discredit and depreci- 
ate the country. 

If Portugal were to study thoroughly her divers moral and eco- 
nomical crises, as well as some international complications that cost 
her very dear, she could not charge them exclusively to the purely 
national element ; through some she passed, even, where the latter 
took up a simply tolerating attitude, being sometimes passive, at 
other times hardly conscious. 

If, on the other hand, the Portuguese were to seek for victims of 
those catastrophes, they would only find the country, and with it 
those who were indissolubly linked to it by a hut, by a few acres of 
land, by a part of their heart and soul. 

Instinctively we gave vent to these reflections as we folded the 
mass of papers and closed the old books we had waded through in 
search of the Perestrellos, who, however, did not cause us to make 
them. Not they ; on the contrary, the Perestrellos are honorable ex- 
ceptions, who consubstantiated themselves in Portuguese blood. It 
was the whole terrific kaleidoscope which frequently caused us invol- 
untarily to suspend our investigation, immersed as we were in pro- 
found meditation. 

In order to reunite a private family like that of the Perestrellos, 
we stumbled upon many other dead and gone people, and we came 
to sudden stops before real surprises — here, follies that provoke our 
mirth • there, baseness that revolts us ; yonder, misfortunes that 






15 

move us to tears ; further still, traits of valor and civic virtue that 
exact our sincere admiration. 

The Perestrellos, like everybody else, paid their tribute of frail 
humanity, so small, however, in comparison with the personal merits 
and brilliant services of some of the family, that it is hardly worth 
taking into account. 

Nevertheless, the writings concerning the Perestrellos will have 
to be modified, history exacting this correction, in no wise, however, 
prejudicing the honorable family traditions. 

Philippone, or Philip Palestrello, is the first Perestrello we en- 
counter in Portugal, toward the end of the fourteenth century, 
among many other countrymen of his who came to this country in 
search of fortune. 

Philippone was son of Messire Gabriele Palestrello, a native of 
the city of Placenzia, in Lombardy, and of his wife, Madama Bar- 
tholine Biforti, 1 who both died in the place of their birth and resi- 
dence. We learn this through a justification Philippone presented 
to be exempted from a war contribution levied by Dom John I. to 
defray the costs of the maritime expedition to Ceuta. 

Besides his descent, Philippone Palestrello proved by several wit- 
nesses, countrymen of his, that his ancestors in Italy were nobles 
entitled to wear armor — that is, of recognized nobility — a fact which 
exempted him from the aforesaid tribute. 

This reclamation, appended to the respective Royal Letter Patent, 
is dated January 8th, 1399, and both those documents constitute the 
first and most sure chronological vestige encountered up to date of 

1 Other writers give her name as Bartholomine Biforti. In course of 
time the surname Biforti appears, in the very Perestrello family, written in 
different ways— Biforte, Bisforti. A granddaughter three generations re- 
moved of Gabriel and Bartholine called herself Brachiforti. She was Donna 
Leonor Perestrello Brachiforti, daughter of John Lopes Perestrello, and 
married to Gil Vicente da Maia. She died January 16th, 1451. Both she 
and her husband are buried in the church of the Capuchins in Carnota, and 
on their epitaph can be read very clearly that lady's name so written. 



16 

Philippone's existence in Portugal. 1 He lived in Oporto at that time, 
but in 1415 we find him residing in Lisbon and married already to a 
Portuguese lady, Donna Catharina de Mello, by whom he had four 
children, following in order of birth : Richarte, Donna Isabel, Donna 
Branca, 2 and Bartholomew. 

Before, however, we begin the biographical study of the latter, 
let us refer to his elder brother and the distinguished progeny of 
whom he was the founder, as well as to his sisters, of whom we de- 
sire to give detailed information, as their destinies, besides offering 
a certain historical novelty, procured Richarte and Bartholomew 
one of the most valuable personal friendships of that epoch. 

Richarte Palestrello became a priest and obtained the priorship of 
the parish of Santa Marinha in Lisbon, in those days perhaps the 
richest living in the whole archbishopric. By Beatriz Annes he had 
two sons, John Lopes Perestrello and Sebastian Perestrello, both 
legitimized 3 according to documents dated Cintra, July 11th, 1423. 

1 Jacintho de Pina Loureiro, perhaps the most conscientious of geneal- 
ogists, who does not despise the most trifling indication, and who always 
bases his extensive work on irrefutable proofs and documents in the Torre 
de Tombo, tells us that the above document still existed at the beginning of 
the seventeenth century, in the possession of Donna Leonor Lobo Peres- 
trello, who was then the wife of Diogo Saldanha, and that it was through it 
that it became known who were her ancestors and which the arms this 
family used in Italy. 

Tne arms of the Perestrellos are : Escutcheon perpendicularly divided ; 
on the first field, in gold, a purple lion set off with red; on the second, on 
silver field, a blue band traversing it ; on it three stars, of eight points each, 
between six red roses, three and three in horizontal line. Crest: A lion 
like on the escutcheon, with an eight-pointed star on its shoulder. 

2 We give the exact name that is written in the Letters Patent legitimizing 
the children, passing over the orthographical variations we encounter in 
other genealogists. 

3 We adopt the successive modifications the surname suffered in Portugal 
according to the text of various writers. 

Some authors even call him Raphael, alleging ignorance as to whom he 



17 

Of the younger son we could gather no information of particular 
interest. The elder, John Lopes Perestrello, who inherited his 
father's mansion, had early accredited himself by a long apprentice- 
ship in the struggles on the sea. He was named captain of the 
Fradeza, one of the warships that formed the expedition to India 
in 1502, commanded by Vasco de Grama. He distinguished himself 
on that occasion in the fights with the people of Cochin. Returning 
from India with much booty, John Lopes Perestrellc instituted in 
the province of Alemquer a large entailed estate, giving it the name 
" Of the Spaniard." 

Two of his five sons, Raphael and Bartholomew, served in India 
with great distinction. ' Raphael Perestrello started from Malacca 
to explore the Chinese coasts. He suffered various reverses, among 
others thirty days of imprisonment, which, however, did not hinder 
him from carrying hence an immense booty. Thanks to the illus- 



married. There certainly existed the intention to conceal the truth in this 
changing of names, in order to avoid ironical comments on the origin of the 
entail "of the Spaniard." In spite of the facilities for legitimizing, there 
always fell upon the children of priests, principally upon those of the lower 
class, the evil eye of the moralists ; and even to-day the fruits of transgres- 
sions of canonical laws are obliged to disguise their filiation into some other 
kind of relationship. 

The genealogists managed to illude several generations with this pseudo- 
Raphael. The documents encountered by the authors dispel the foggy 
atmosphere purposely created, clearly showing one of the many subterfuges 
resorted to in other and similar cases. They rigorously determine the name, 
civil status, and profession of the father of the man who founded the en- 
tailed estate of " the Spaniard's." 

We have positive reasons for asserting, in view of several most important 
facts, that all of the above was completely ignored by his very descendants. 
— R. M.' 

1 This Bartholomew Perestrello received as recompense for his services the 
commissaryship of the royal treasury in Malacca, the governor being 
George de Mello Pereira d'Albuquerque. 



18 

trious reputation he acquired, he was again chosen to command oir 
of the warships of the fleet in 1519 under the orders of George 01 
Albuquerque. 

We omit many other members of Richarte Perestrello's family, 
who all merit honorable mention, in order not to make this work too 
voluminous, deviating us from the purpose we traced. The children 
of John Lopes, thanks to the fortune of their father, seem to have all 
been left in excellent financial circumstances ; among other docu- 
ments we examined in the"Corpo Chronologico " of the Torre do 
Tombo, we came upon a royal order dated 21st of August, 1514, to 
pay to his daughter Donna Mecia Lopes Perestrello the sum of 
310,760 reis that lady had advanced the royal administration. 

The two sisters of Bartholomew Perestrello, Donna Isabel and 
Donna Branca, cohabited successively with the celebrated Arch- 
bishop of Lisbon, Dom Pedro de Noronha, a most notable personage 
by reason of the opulence of his style of living, and also on account 
of his high birth, since in his veins circulated the blood of Henry IV. 
of Castile and of Dom Fernando I. of Portugal. ' 

Those relations which would cause adverse criticism in our epoch, 
quite rigid in its social preconceptions as well as in an apparent in- 
tolerance with respect to civil and canonical laws, in those days were 
admitted on account of the example emanating from the very highest 
hierarchies. 2 There is no need whatever of our producing proofs for 

1 Dom Pedro de Noronha, as well as his brothers, were important person- 
ages. Dom Fernando, the second Count of Villa Real ; Dom Sancho de No- 
ronha, Count of Odemira ; and Donna Constanza de Noronha, second wife 
of Dom Affonso, first Duke of Braganza, constituted, with their brother the 
third Archbishop of Lisbon, a nucleus of social strength of the very highest 
order. 

2 It is quite well known that concubinage was not exclusively confined to 
Portugal, nor tolerated by law and usage only during the epoch we refer to. 
We need not, therefore, commit the indelicacy to enter our neighbor's do- 
mains in search of testimony to bear us out in this our assertion. Of the 
many proofs we have before us as to the sad social condition of woman in 



flieie of 1 tdhie : 

7TTH ENTAIL OF ESTATE POI 



Gabriele Palestrelk 



Philippone Palestrello ai 



irte Palestrello, a priest, rector of the Parish of Santa 



es Perestrello, who instituted the entail " The Spaniar< 



ZF>:E:Dxa-:Fi.:E::E] op tke 3 d eir.estflblijO if'.ajucix.."^, 

WITH ENTAIL OF ESTATE FOUNDED BY THE FOURTH DESCENDANT. 



Gabriele Palestrello .ind his wife, Bartholine Biforte. 



Philippone Palestrelio and his wife, Donna Catherina de Mello. 



Richarte Palestrello, a priest, rector of the Parish of Santa I larinha in Lisbon, had by Beatriz Annes, illegitimately, but legitimized : 

v v 1 . 1 

John Lopes Perestrello, who instituted the entail "The Spaniards " in Alemquer, had by Philippa Lourenco the following legitimized children: 



Antonio Perestrello, legitimized, Auditor of the Ddhna Mecia Lopes Perestrello, who on August Donna Leonor Pe.restrello Biforti, married to Pvaphael Perestrello, served in India, starting Bartholomew IVrostrello served iu India, and 



Exchequer, by reason of this position being 
the marriage portion of his wife. Donna Vio- 
lante NuneB, daughter of the Judge Privy 
Councillor, Miguel Nunes, and of Donna Gui- 
omar Dias. This last built a chapel in the 
Church of the Martyrs in Lisbon, and was 
buried in it. 



John Lopes Perestrel- 
lo inherited the en- 
tailed estate, "The 
Spaniards," and had 
with Maria Ferrelra, 
a spinster of low ex- 
traction : 



Antonio Perestnllo. 
legitimized, married 
Donna Lulza do Vas- 
concollos, daughter 
anil heiress of Paulo 
Dias de Fonseca and 
of bis wife. Donna 
Maria Hunrlques do 
i.i-i. in::. Inherited 
the entailed estate. 



21st, 1514, obtained a royal order for the pay- 
ment of 810,760 reis loaned. Married Affonso 
Leiton, a citizen of Lisbon. 
Children : 



Gil Vicente da Siaya, who died January 16th, 
1511 ; buried in Carnota with his wife. 



from Malacca in a ship of Indian build, to ex 
plore the coasts of China. While Don Gui- 
terres de Monroy was governor iu GoA, Peres- 
trello came to the relief of Goii, besieged by 
flydalcan— text, page 17. 



Bartholomew Peres- 
trello, Chancellor of 
the Exchequer, mar- 
ried Donna Maria 
Fernandes de Vas- 
concellos, daughter 
of John Fernandes de 
Vasconcellos. 



Manuel Perestrello, 
proprietor of the 
Quinta da Ermigeira, 
married Donna Isa- 
bel Paula da Gama. 



Donna Catharina de Donna Leonor Peres- John Pereira Perestrello, married in Alemquer Donna Cecilia Peres- Donna Frnnoisca IV 



Perestrello, wife of 
Privy Councillor Luiz 
TeixeiraLobo, teach- 
er of grammar to 
Dom John III. 



John Teixeira Lobo 
Amaral, married 
Donna Brites Botel- 
lin, daughter of Luiz 
Botelho. Judge of 
the Customs Depart- 
ment of the Trea- 
sury. 



trello, who received 
on March 19th, 1523, 
two thousand crowns 
as a marriage por- 
tion on marrying her 
cousin, Dom Garcia 
de Albuquerque. 



Donna Isabel 1[avares, daughter of Sueiro 
Annes Moniz. 



trello. married 
Mem Pagado da Sil- 
va. Left a son : 



restrello. married IV- 
drodeMest|inta Sue 
cession not known. 



Estevan Soar- 
es Perestrello, 
married in 
Alemquer 
Donna Garcia 
de Almeida. 



I). i na Anna 
1 „• restrello, 
niarried Dom 
tfl-ancisco de 
Qnistro. 



Donna Catha 
rinadaSilvei 
ra Perestrel 
lo, first wife 
of her cousin 
Gil Vicente 
Perestrello da 
Maya. 



was ■ OommiSSarj Of the Treasury In Ha 
l.-.oea, while George de Albuquerque was 
Couiniander-in-i 'hiof in India. By Maria Ro- 
djriguea he had a legitimized son: 



Kuv Lopes Perestrello who was the Ural Peres- 
trello to ask for and to obtain the royal di 
plmna according him a family ooat ox arms, 

on May 18th, ISM (A'haneery of Dom John 
III, vol. xxvii., page 68). Married Donna 
Maria Alves de Moniz. 



Gil Vicente Perestrello da Maya, married t wire 
His first wife was his cousin. Donna Catharina 
daSilveira Perestrello, daughter of John Pe- 
reira Perestrello. The second wife was Don- 
na Joanna de Vilhena, widow of Damian 
Gonzales de Guzman, a rich merchant, and 
daughter of Dom Fernando de Menezes. who 
was an illegitimate son of Dom Duarte, gov- 
ernor of India, by an Indian woman. 



Pedro Honla Perestrel- 
lo; embarked for ser- 
vice i" India in 1560. 



Antonio Monia Peres 

trello, served In In 
dia; embarked in 
1562. 



SehnHtian Perestrello 

do ViiNconoellos. heir 

to the entail, mar- 
ried his cousin, Hon 
na Aiinado Vilhena, 
daughter or SlXQOD 
de (jarvalhodo Ama- 
ral, hoir of the en- 
tali of Pinheiro, and 
of his wife. Donna 
Franolica de Vllhe 

na, daughter of liil 
Vicente l'erostrello 
da Maya. 



Antonio Perestrello do 
Amaral e Vasconcel- 
los, holr to the en- 
tail, had by Isabel 
Gomes a legitimized 
son; 



John Pereatreuo do 

Amaral Uiheiro do 

Vaaoonoslloa, heir to 

the entail, bad by 
Luisa Theresa n le- 
gitimized daughter: 



Donna Theresa Josefa 
Perestrello do A.ma 

nil Uiheiro e Vaseon 
cellos, heiress of her 
father and tho en- 
tail, married tho 
I'rivy Councillor An- 
dre do Sousa Pin- 
hoiro. 



Donna Maria Peres- Donna Guiomar Lobo 
trello, wife of Miguel de Perestrello, mar- 



Hrandao Pereira, 
heiress of the Ermi- 
geira, in Torres Ve- 
dras. 



ried Manuel de Mes- 
i in ii a. who was cap- 
tain of a royal galley 
on the occasion of 
the King Dom Sebas- 
tian's first expedition 
to Africa. 



Francisco Ta- 
vares Peres- 
trello. 



Of the first marriage: John Pereira de Peres- 
trello, who died in India, unmarried. 



iu the BeCOnd marriage: Donna l'r.ui.isoa de 

\ llhena, married to Simon Oarvalho do Ama 

r.ii, the heir i>t Pinheiro; i heir danghter, Don 

na Anna de Villi na. married her cousin, Si' 
ha.-.tian IVrostrello de Vasconcellos. 



„ ¥ , 

Donna Isabel Maria Manuel de Mesquita Perestrello, who accompanied his father to AC 

Brandao Perestrello, frmu the Cape of Good Hope to the Cape of Corrientes on th< 

wife of Simon Alvo exactness, much superior to what could have been expected of 
(ioilinho. 



ica, and remained there charged with the exploration of the African coasts 
Mozambique coast. He left a log book highly prized for its clearness and 
his times. 



rantaleon Alvo Brandao Perestrello, married Donna Maria de Azevedo. 



--— 



Doona Anna Leonor l.olio, wife of DlOgO do 

Saldanho. It. was in ihis lady's poss 

i le papers were found thai lustifled Philip 

pone Palesfrello's pretensions to nohMtj In 

Italy maile nut in 13IHI. 



Saacho P as de Saldanha. captain of a troop oi 
hoi e in the Wars . . i Independence, was 

killed iii a skirmi-.li wiili the Spaniards in 

Aiemtejo in 1689, ii arried Donna ttari 

anna Cabral. 



.lose Aho Brandao Godinho Pereira, gentleman of the royal household, married Donna Is. tbel Francisca de Sousa Cezar, daughter of Francisco Philippe da Silva Alcoforado, and of bis wife, DoffiM M.ni.-i B 
l.encastre. 



joim Perastrello do 

Amaral Uiheiro de 
Vasconcellos da For 
nundes e Sousa, mar- 
ried Donna Anna 
Jonquinn da Costa 
de Sousa do Maccdo 
Inherited the entail. 

Had besides other 

sons: 



Sebastian Verest rcllo 
do Amaral Kiln-no 
de Vasconcellos l'Yr- 
na tides a Sousa. con- 
tracted second nup- 
tials with Douna Ma- 
ria Eugenia de Sousa. 

Perestrello, has buo- 

cessioii, and an heir 
to tile entailed estate 
of "The Spaniards." 



Donna Maria BOM Vivo Uraudaol'erostrollo de Aievodo, second Viscountess de 



, i hrough her mairiage with her cousin, Luiz Maximo Alfredo de Sousa Coutinho, the second Viscount de Balsamao. 



Luiz Jos6 Alexander Pinto de Sousa Coutinho, third Viscount de Ba Isamao (. married.i, died with- 
out succession. 



Vasco Pinto de Sousa Coutinho, on the death of his brother inherited the boose and be 
fourth Viscount de Balsamao; he died on December i»l. Mi, leaving a wld 
Donna Maria da Penha Perestrello da Costa de Macedo, daughter of John Perestrello 00 
Amaral Ribeiro de Vasconcellos Fernandes e Bo 



1° 

this assertion. It is quite sufficient to study the lineage of the bas- 
tards of the great nobles and of the kings, sanctioned by the recep- 
tion these descendants met with even under the conjugal roof ; their 
bold presentation in public affairs ; and finally the legitimation, 
which palliated the acts, pardoned the faults of the progenitors, and 
removed the taint suspended over the heads of the progeny. The 
brilliant dynasty that in those days presided over the destinies of 

Portugal from the very earliest times of the monarchy, we w ill only select 
for our readers one document, which is to be found in Book 4 de Alem- 
Douro, page 274. It treats of the transaction effected between the King 
Dom Diniz and Branca Lourenza. The king gave her the city of Mirandella, 
motivating this gift thus : ' ' And I do this for you as payment for your 
body; and should God permit that I have by you son or sons, to them shall 
belong the said city." 

We of to-day look upon this as a dreadful case, but Dr. Francisco Bran- 
don, who used this document in his " Monarchia Luzitana," tells us that in 
those times nobody was shocked by such occui'rences. And, indeed, so true 
is this assertion that the very son and successor of the King Dom Diniz, the 
Infante Dom Affonso, signed this most curious paper, along with his father, 
as witness ! Dr. Francisco Brandon makes this reflection : "The queen, 
Saint Isabel, only did not sign the paper, on account of the decorum that had 
to be observed toward her in view of the fact that the gift was bestowed 
upon a woman with whom the kiug offended against his wife." The only 
thing needed to complete this iniquitous piece of business would have been 
the signature of the queen affixed to the contract, which was signed and wit- 
nessed by no less than seven bishops, one master of the royal household, 
and one chancellor of the kingdom ! ! ! 

The purchase of the body of Branca Lourenza was perfectly valid through 
the signature of so many high dignitaries of the Roman Church, and more 
than guaranteed by the rubric of an Infante on the eve of becoming king ! 

By the way, this king, Dom Diniz, husband of Saint Isabel (Elizabeth, in 
whose favor the miracle of changing bread into roses was wrought), was the 
founder of the celebrated convent of Odivellas, near Lisbon ; and with such 
solicitude did he watch over the welfare of the nuns that they could not even 
take sea baths except in his royal presence ! 



20 

Portugal commenced with a bastard — one of the greatest kings who 
swayed the Portuguese sceptre. 

Donna Branca Dias Perestrello and her sister, Donna Isabel, whom 
the former succeeded in her amorous relations with the archbishop, 
if they did not enjoy the legal rights of a wife on account of the sacer- 
dotal character of the man to whom they linked themselves in the 
unbridled impulse of their heart, had nevertheless, along with a great 
social consideration, the commodities and the honors of a really noble 
house. The fruits of these unions were legally adopted, perpetuat- 
ing themselves in offspring highly distinguished in every respect. 

It seems that Donna Isabel died soon after the birth of her son 
Don John, governor of the city of Obidos, legitimized by Royal Let- 
ters Patent dated August 13th, 1444. Donna Branca, whose beauty 
was not inferior, according to what we read in the chronicles of the 
times, to that of her sister, had always lived with her and en- 
joyed the fraternal friendship of the archbishop, which sentiment, 
however, after the death of Donna Isabel, immediately changed into 
an affection of a different kind, a result that was to have been ex- 
pected from the archbishop's well-known temperament, and the neces- 
sity he felt to procure at once a substitute for his deceased companion, 
with all possible conciliation of aesthetics and administrative con- 
veniences. 

Three children are known to have sprung from this union, who 
also were legitimized on August 13th, 1444. ' They were : Donna 

! The fact of ecclesiastics legitimizing' their offspring was a most common 
one in old times. In order to give an idea of how ordinary an occurrence it 
was, we will cite a few among many examples : The bishops of Guarda, 
Dom Gonzalo, Dom John, and Dom Alvaro, legitimized a great number of 
children . Some of them became celebrated men. The bishop of Evora, Dom 
Affonso, cousin to the king, Dom Manuel, recognized as his son Dom Fran- 
cisco de Portugal in the year 1515. The bishop of Oporto, Dom John d'Aze- 
vedo, did the same for Dom Manoel da Silva, besides others ; and he of Vi- 
zeu, Dom John dAbreu, legitimized Diogo Gomez d'Abreu in 1508. 

There was also a considerable quantity of laymen who had children by 



21 

Isabel, to whom we shall refer anon ; Dom Diogo de Noronha, Fran- 
ciscan monk and afterward bishop of Lamego ; and Dom Pedro de 
Noronha, one of the heroes of Alcacer-Ceguer and Grand Com- 
mander of the Order of San Thiago, who was on different occasions 
entrusted by Dom John II. with confidential missions, always ac- 
quitting himself with much judgment and proficiency. He it was 
who had the honor of representing the Prince Dom Affonso in his 
marriage with Donna Isabel, the daughter of the King of Spain, 
which was celebrated by proxy, and of being chosen as the Portu- 
guese delegate in the ceremonies that took place in Rome on the 
consecration of Innocent VIII. to the pontificate. He settled many 
questions pending between his country and the Apostolic See, of 
which we will particularly mention the Papal Bull of the crusade 
for continuing the wars in Africa. 

Possessed of immense wealth and high influence at court, the 
archbishop was most solicitous in obtaining for his children, by the 
two Perestrello sisters the most desirable ecclesiastical and civil posi- 
tions ; the powerful protection of the famous prelate was theirs on 
every occasion. 

There came, however, a moment when the prestige of the arch- 
bishop commenced to decline rapidly, and radical changes took place 
in his domestic regimen. Donna Branca Dias Perestrello, on the 

nuns. These children also were legitimized. The peculiar circumstance of 
the mothers being inmates of a convent at conception and confinement was 
not considered an obstacle. Two examples will suffice for our purpose : 
That of Dom Antonio, son of Ruy de Sa and of Catharina de Lemos, nun 
of the Order of St. Bernardo; and that of Goncalo de Barros, son of a noble- 
man of the same name and of Isabel Dias, also a professed nun. 

The very bastards, born under the most offensive conditions of conjugal 
morality, enjoyed without any hindrance the benefits of legitimation. John \ 
de Noronha, married to Donna Isabel de Sousa, legitimized as son, in 1510, 
Diogo de Noronha, born of a slave, Catharina by name, in the domestic ser- 
vice of his wife. And like him did many others in identical circumstances, 
and sometimes in still viler ones. 



22 

eve of becoming a mother, was, without a moment's warning, ban- 
ished to a convent in Coimbra by despotic order of the archbishop, 
and there gave birth to Donna Isabel, who in 1462 espoused the Mar- 
quis of Montemor, son of the second duke of Braganza, and one of 
the leaders of the nobles who revolted against the absorbing and 
centralizing policy of the Perfect Prince (Dom John II.). 

Until then Dom Pedro de Noronha had not entirely laid aside all 
regard due to personal and archiepiscopal dignity ; henceforth, how- 
ever, he led a most disorderly life with other women, by whom he 
had more children. Donna Branca, angry at being neglected and 
abandoned, left the convent to marry Ayres Annes de Beja, an in- 
habitant of Coimbra. From this union sprang a numerous progeny 
known as the Perestrellos de Beja. 1 

1 The immoral acts of the archbishop reached such a point that the people 
pursued and hissed him in the streets. The government of the diocese had 
to be taken from him. He took refuge in Castile, from whence he returned 
to a certainty before August, 1444, as we conclude from the legitimation 
papers of his children. 

The approximate period of his flight can be taken for granted as having 
occurred in 1439, by reason of a document of that year published in the 
"Elements for the History of the Government of the City of Lisbon, " by 
our distinguished friend Freire d'Oliveira, one of the most important works 
of modern investigation, whose restricted title seems to detract from its value 
as truthful subsidy for the general history of the country. That document 
is a royal mandate, giving orders that " the half of the income of the arch- 
bishopric of Lisbon be applied to the payment of the debts the Archbishop 
Dom Pedro may have left, and the other half to mattei'S belonging to the 
same archbishop, " dated 8th of December, 1439. 

The following biographical traits, furnished us by Pina Loureiro, are curi- 
. ous and interesting : 

"Dom Pedro de Noronha, son of the first Count Don Alfonso Enriques 
de Castile and of his wife the Lady Donna Isabel, having been deprived of 
his estates through the turbulence of his father, took holy orders and became 
the third archbishop of Lisbon and prelate of great authority and respect; 
thus on the death of the king, Dom Duarte, he was named one of the adjuncts 



23 

On the death of his father, Bartholomew Perestrello, the young- 
est of the four children left by Philippone, fell to the charge of his 
brother and sisters ; but in very early youth he obtained a position in 
the household of the Infante Dom John, then closely linked with that 
of his brother, Dom Henrique, in the African campaigns, and with 
the auspicious beginning of our maritime discoveries. Afterward he 
was created a knight of the same household. 

It is, however, not very easy to state the precise nature of the ser- 
vices, more or less public, rendered by him in an epoch of varied and 
complex enterprises. In the same manner that the chroniclers of 
those times passed rapidly over divers personages whose names they 
transmitted to us for the simple reason of their relations to more 
prominent ones, or to a historical fact, in the same manner they 
refer to Bartholomew Perestrello only in a vague sort of a way as 
the populator and donee of the island of Porto Santo. 

On account of those two grants, the principal vestiges of Bartho- 
lomew Perestrello's passage across the pages of history, which grants 
were conferred upon him by the Infante Dom Henrique, several 
writers implicitly believed him to possess the double quality of sea- 
man and discoverer, in spite of the serious reasons advanced against 
such an assertion by Azurara and Barros. 

to the government of the Infante Dom Pedro. However, in the dissensions 
between the queen, Donna Leonor, and Dom Pedro, he took the part of the 
queen at the instigation of his brother-in-law, the Duke of Braganza. After- 
ward lie committed indecent acts unworthy of his dignity, so that the 
Senate of Lisbon deprived him of his emoluments and dignities. Seeing that 
he had lost the respect of his people, he retired to Castile, from whence he 
afterward returned to this kingdom to take up again the old enmity with 
the Infante, in whose misfortune and death he had a large share. 

" He is buried in his see," of Lisbon, in the Chapel of the Sacrament, 
and has on his sepulchre the following inscription : ' ' Here lies the Rev'd 
in Christ, priest and senhor Dom Pedro, archbishop of this city, grandson of 
the noble king Dom Fernando of Portugal, and grandson of the king Don 
Enrique of Castile, whose soul be with God ; he expired on the 12th of 
August, 1452." 



24 

We do not doubt that he well merited the generous friendship 
and confidence of Dom Henrique, first of all on account of his per- 
sonal qualities ; next for some of the various services which so much 
distinguished other men of his time, without their having been en- 
gaged in the struggles and adventures by sea. We also do not rely 
exclusively on the criticism that ascribes to the influence of Dom 
Pedro de Noronha the grants that were conferred upon him. What, 
however, our conscience will not permit us to accept as conclusive, 
partly on account of what we read in divers writings, partly in view 
of the purport of the documents that refer to Bartholomew, and 
above all in consideration of most palpable chronological contradic- 
tions, is the assertion that Bartholomew Perestrello was the discov- 
erer of the island of Porto Santo, or an important assistant of Gon- 
calves Zarco and Tristan Vaz in that maritime enterprise. 

Some writers, notably Don Francisco de San Luiz, assert the 
general practice of those days — that is to say, the fact of the gover- 
norships of the discovered lands being given to those who first dis- 
covered them — in order to ascribe the discovery of the island to Bar- 
tholomew Perestrello. Certainly this was done very often, but not 
so generally as to establish a rule under which Bartholomew Peres- 
trello might come. 

Jacome de Bruges, first populator and donee of the island of 
Teixeira, also Joz de Ultra of the island of Fayal, did not take the 
least part in the discovery of those two islands. Many other exam- 
ples lead us to discard the idea of a general rule in the concession of 
governorships. We do, however, remember still another synthetic 
case which gives a new character to the question of the donations. 

We refer to the donation which Dom Affonso V. made to Fernan 
Telles of the Island of Flowers, 1 the jurisdiction and governorship of 
which are generally considered to have first been given to Donna 

1 The Island of Flowers (Flora Island) is the birthplace of Nicolau Floren- 
tine, the savant and indefatigable searcher after truth in the history of his 
country, who as such has dedicated long hours of serious study to the history 
of the Acorian archipelago, and particularly to Flora Island. — R. M. 



25 

Maria de Vilhena, which is simply an absurdity ; or it is asserted 
that, in spite of the unwritten law then ruling, she obtained it from 
Gomez Dias Rodovalho while she was the wife of Fernan Telles, 
and that on the death of her husband she continued the administra- 
tion of the island as guardian of her minor son, Ruy Telles. 1 

The discoverers of the Island of Flowers were Diogo de Teive and 
his son, John de Teive ; it was this latter who negotiated with Fer- 
nan Telles the sale of all his rights acquired by Royal Letters Patent 
of confirmation dated 28th of January, 1475. As far as we could 
ascertain, Fernan Telles never was in the island after he became its 
donee and governor, much less did he grope along that fanciful re- 
gion of the Atlantic in search of the beautiful island. 

Besides, the Letters Patent of the grant of Porto Santo to Bar- 
tholomew Perestrello, as well as those of the confirmation of the 
sale by his widow and a brother of hers, Diogo Gil Moniz, as guar- 
dians of her minor son Bartholomew, to Pedro Correa da Cunha, do 
not allude to any services which might have decided the king to 
make the grant, and less still do they assert any prior right of Bar- 
tholomew as discoverer. On the contrary, in the second of these 
documents it is distinctly stated " that he asked of me as a favor, be- 
cause his desire and wish was to populate my island of Porto Santo," 
which statement by the king certainly does not admit even the slight- 
est supposition of immediate rights to the aforesaid governorship. 

As to having been a companion of Zarco and Tristan in the dis- 
covery, and, above all, as to having preceded them in the enterprise, 
chronology opposes itself to any likelihood of this historic trait of 
Bartholomew's being true, even if the considerations above stated did 
not seem to us conclusive. In 1418 Tristan was a full-grown man, 

1 Like Donna Isabel Moniz, who sold the island of Porto Santo, Donna 
Maria de Vilhena also sold her Island of Flowers to a John da Fonseca, with 
this difference, however, that the act of Donna Maria was recognized by her 
son as valid, while Bartholomew Perestrello No. 2 proposed and obtained 
the annulment of the sale effected by his mother to Dom Pedro Correa da 
Cunha. 



2G 

and we all know that this is the year of the discovery of the first 
island of the archipelago of Madeira. Tristan was then about 33 or 
34 years old, and Zarco was of the same age, or perhaps older still, as 
we may conclude from what John de Barros says regarding the heirs 
of Zarco, who disputed the glories of Tristan as not being so old a 
man nor of as good quality as John Gongalves. If a difference of 
age, which could not be great, constituted a base for this moral strife 
between the representants of the two heroes, what would happen if 
those of Bartholomew were to litigate with those of the other two 
united ? 

As a result of divers calculations, particularly of the epoch in 
which Philippone married, according to the works on nobility, and 
noting especially the fact that Bartholomew was the fourth child 
born of this union, he could not have been of more than half of Tris- 
tan's age. Besides we must not forget to calculate the very important 
circumstance that the third wife of Bartholomew Perestrello was a 
great-granddaughter, on her mother's side, of Tristan Vaz. 

Bartholomew Perestrello was consequently of an unlikely age to 
suppose him the chief of any maritime expedition, and there is a total 
absence of historical dates that would prove him possessed of pre- 
cocious talents for a seafaring life ; just as unlikely was it that he 
should have been chosen to take an equal part in the expedition com- 
manded by Zarco and Tristan, both already celebrated in the African 
wars, with their reputation as daring sailors well established in the 
voyages to Ceuta and other northern and eastern shores of the Dark 
Continent. 

But he did go in the company of both, drawn into the enthusiastic 
fanciful current of those who offered to populate Porto Santo, a new 
paradise, according to a merry antiphrase. 

To conclude : The fame ascribed to Bartholomew Perestrello as a 
navigator is not founded on any single fact even, of any importance. 
It is quite within reason and justice to admit him to have distin- 
guished himself in any other branch of activity of that epoch, in view 
of the grant made to him by the Infante, and also in view of the, 



27 



cordial reception he met with from families, jealous of their blood 
and parchments, who yet contracted matrimonial alliances with him. 
This point of old historical debate settled, let us proceed to others 
more intimately connected with the existence of the donee governor 
of the island of Porto Santo. 



III. 



THE ISLAND OF PORTO SANTO AND ITS COLONIZATION — LABORS 

AND SACRIFICES OF THE FIRST DONEE OF THAT ISLAND — 

BARTHOLOMEW PERESTRELLO, HIS TROUBLED LIFE, 

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES r PREMATURE DEATH, 

AND THE DESCENDANTS HE LEFT. 




:2222§S1E1222 



CCORDING to Azurara's chronicles, substantiated by 
other works, Bartholomew Perestrello remained but a 
short time on the island of Porto Santo, whither he 
had gone in company with divers individuals to colon- 
ize it, all harboring the most flattering dreams of for- 
tune. The disenchantment of the young Bartholomew on visiting his 
future dominions was as great as that of many others on the islands 
and on the continent, who judged the largess of the royal munificence 
only by the much-vaunted extension of territory, by notices full of 
imagination as to its fertility, and by the pompous word "proprie- 
tor." Those donees understood the value of what they had obtained 
only when the duties and charges they had taken upon themselves 
reached a sum so much higher than the local income as to oblige 
them to reduce the cultivation on their own account in exchange for 
insignificant rents, or to abandon cultivation altogether ; copious 
vestiges of the latter fact were until very recently to be met with at 
various points of the country. 

Many people even to this day, on reading the list of donations for- 
merly received by those who rendered public services, and the de- 
scriptive inventory of those donations, are at a loss what to admire 
most, the ruinous liberality of the giver or the fabulous fortune 
of the receiver. In the meantime, through books of receipts and 



30 

expenses, bills and registers of the epoch, and the scientific means in 
our possession which enable us to establish the real value of those 
grants in relation to the capital employed in cultivation and the agri- 
cultural and industrial product, it is easy to understand how hyper- 
bolical in most cases were the expectations of golden interests on the 
part of those whose labors were rewarded with lands, governorships, 
etc. 

Carried away by suggestions about the much-praised advantages 
of the discovered island, Bartholomew did not know what he asked 
for, whereas it is more than likely that Zarco and Tristan knew the 
truth. The second voyage of those two navigators is thus more 
rationally explained. They proposed to continue in their enterprise, 
after having left the colonists in Porto Santo, or at least they meant 
to sound and explore that part of the Atlantic, in preference to inter- 
ring themselves on an island whose surface and geological conditions, 
although surveyed most rapidly, very likely did not attract them 
much, though it was so asserted in the writings of the epoch. 

The immediate discovery 1 of Madeira, which the two divided 

1 "We underline the word, because Azurara simply says that Tristan and 
Zarco went over from Porto Santo to the island of Madeira, which could be 
seen on clear days. On the other hand, it is also worthy of notice that the 
dense woods that covered the latter, through their own absorption and after- 
ward evaporation of the humidity deposited above those woods, must have 
occasioned prolonged atmospheric disturbances which did not then permit 
Madeira to be seen from Porto Santo, like to-day. 

Barros, more enlightened than Azurara, speaks of this phenomenon, 
although there is no contradiction between both in the essence of the fact of 
the discovery. On the contrary, the former explains it as follows: If some- 
times the mists seemed clouds, on other occasions they indicated land ; this 
suspicion about land being confirmed above all by the fixed position, and the 
appearance of the fog on occasions when all other points of the horizon were 
perfectly clear. 

It follows, consequently, that the simple act of going from one island to 
the other is the one most likely to have occurred, whether the existence of 
the second was ascertained from Porto Santo, or only deduced from judicious 



31 

between them, and where they elected to remain, considering it a 
satisfactory termination of maritime excursions whose acknowledged 
object had been the coasts of Guinea, is of help to us in reflections 
quite different from those to which the text of the chroniclers would 
naturally restrict us. 

Bartholomew was not long in recognizing that his imagination 
had betrayed him and that he had been excessively credulous. The 
comparison between Porto Santo and the new island encountered by 
Zarco and Tristan, incomparably superior to the first by its attrac- 
tive aspect and the most promising state of vegetation, completely 
discouraged him. ' 

He returned to the continent most probably after the discovery 
of Madeira. The cause of this retreat, simultaneous with the de- 
parture of the two other companions for the second island, they 
themselves ascribed to a plague of rabbits that developed in the first 
island. The story goes that on the first voyage to the island a rabbit 
gave birth to many young, which were set free on arriving. In the 
following year — that is, if indeed a whole year elapsed between the 

observations of the atmospheric phenomena. Could Zarco and Tristan have 
suspected the existence of Madeira already on their first voyage? We do not 
know. 

Perhaps the excitement of the discovery made them return at once, like 
many navigatoi's did in identical cases, without thinking of examining their 
find (as was the case with poor Bartholomew, who lost health and wealth 
by his acquisition) ; much, less did it occur to them to prosecute their inspec- 
tion of the horizon with any degree of serenity. 

1 It seems that already, on undertaking his first voyage, Bartholomew 
Perestrello carried with him his Letters Patent as commissary of Porto San- 
to, which fact in a certain sense bound him to the island, excluding any hope 
of being admitted to a share of the new find which Zarco and Tristan im- 
mediately divided between them, both taking good care to better define their 
guarantees as populators of Madeira than they did as such of Porto Santo. 

If these notes admitted of a more ample development of secondary points, 
the companionship of Tristan and Zarco with Bartholomew would furnish 
matter for quite a number of pages. 



32 

arrival and the departure of Bartholomew — they, the colonists, had 
already killed a very great number, without, however, reducing them, 
to the dismay of the said colonists, whose agricultural labors were 
thus inutilized. 

This extraordinary power of reproduction, before which zoology 
inclines itself, totally unable to explain it, does not cause us any very 
great astonishment. True, we are rather irreverent as to certain 
legends. Our ancestors, the whole world over, possessed in a high 
degree an ingenuity in believing, without seeing or discussing, that, 
taken from the point of view of spiritual hygiene, is simply to be 
envied in these troublesome times of malice and suspicion. 

The story of the rabbits, which the mind of those good people 
accepted in pious silence, does not satisfy to-day. It would have been 
better and more truthful if they had described the island of Porto 
Santo, with its gravelly soil, unsuitable for cultivation of many kinds 
of necessary produce, and above all for the indispensable growth of 
wood, its want of drinking water, etc. The disagreeable impression 
this desert must have caused a young man used to the life of a 
court, and who had not even a female companion — one of the essen- 
tial requisites of colonial life and the best anodyne against home- 
sickness — along with other like causes, would have been accepted as 
incontrovertible as well as less puerile than a plague of rabbits de- 
veloped within a year from one litter. 

Now that we have logically presented this question, we compre- 
hend the cause of Bartholomew Perestrello's return to the kingdom, 
from whence we notice him starting once again for the island after 
the lapse of a few years ; this time as commissary and governor of 
Porto Santo, when it was more likely he really found the terrible 
gnawers considerably multiplied. 

It is possible that his determination to return had been decided 
by unforeseen circumstances, such as good news about the labors 
there continued by his companions, the obtaining of human and 
monetary capital more encouraging than that he took with him in 
his first voyage, above all his marriage with Donna Margarida 



33 

Martins, 1 which most likely caused his immediate resolve to pro- 
vide for the future at any cost. 

With the neighborhood of already rapidly prospering Madeira, 
Porto Santo became less lonely, more attractive, encountering as it 
did, ready to hand, many resources that its barren local conditions 
could not at first supply. But the transformation and improve- 
ments through which Bartholomew's dominions passed — thanks to 
his almost insane efforts at most ungrateful labor, which soon under- 
mined his health ; thanks also to pecuniary sacrifices, unfortunately 
little else than useless — never at any time sufficed to enable the island 
to reach a point of economical and ethnographical autonomy that 
would demonstrate its efficient material and moral progress ; much 
less did it do so in the first year of its colonization. 

The colonization of Madeira was, to a certainty, one of the rea- 
sons that decided Bartholomew Perestrello to leave Lisbon once 
more and to repair to Porto Santo. One of many proofs is the little 
stability of his movements in the island where he fixed his residence, 
or, better said, where he kept a house. 

After having settled there with his first wife, we see him often 
in Machico, in Funchal, and on the continent, occupied in further- 
ing his local interests, developing a prodigious activity in procuring 
agricultural materials, promising almost anything for them ; in at- 

1 We believe the fact of this third marriage of Bartholomew Perestrello to 
be new. Before consulting with the author, who hides his great knowledge 
of all matters genealogical (being a recognized authority in Portugal) under 
the nom-de-plume of Nicolau Florentino, we had examined various works 
about the Perestrellos and held conferences with the Perestrello family here 
in Lisbon. All supposed Bartholomew to have been married twice only, to 
Donna Brites and to Donna Isabel. The Very Reverend Peragallo, who 
wrote about Columbus and the Perestrellos, cites, on the occasion of a royal 
concession, a document in which Bartholomew Perestrello and his wife, 
Donna Mai'garida Martins, are mentioned ; but it would seem he did not read 
that document, because a few lines lower down he mentions that the donee 
of Porto Santo was married to only two ladies, Donna Brites Furtado de 
Mendon9a and to Donna Isabel Moniz !— R. M. 



i 



34 

tracting immigration by furnishing the implements of husbandry ; 
and in obtaining from the royal coffers some profitable concessions 
with which to pay the heavy expenses incident to the improvement 
of Porto Santo. 

( While thus bravely struggling, a painful event threw the deepest 
. shadow over-the gloom out of which he was just about to emerge. 

According to one of the documents before us, we conclude that 
Donna Margarida Martins, his wife, could not have lived long after 
1431. The last vestige we possess of the existence of this lady is a 
Letter Patent of Dom John I., dated July 8th, 1431, issued to her and 
her husband, giving them the rent of several houses in the New 
street, close to the Porta da Herva. 

As far as we could ascertain, there were no children of this mar- 
riage. Bartholomew contracted second nuptials with Donna Brites 
Furtado de Mendonga, of the well-known family of that name, that 
also occupies a distinguished place in the history of the archipelago. 

Of the second marriage three daughters are known, all wedded to 
men of importance. The first, Donna Catharina Furtado de Men- 
donga, was the wife of Mem Rodrigues de Vasconcellos, commenda- 
dor of Seixo. The second, Donna Philippa de Mendonga Furtado, 
united her destinies with those of John Teixeira, 1 third son of Tris- 
tan Vaz, who was the first captain and proprietor (donee) of the 
dominion of Machico. The third, Donna Izeu de Perestrello, mar- 

1 John Teixeira, a resident of Machico, was a man much esteemed on ac- 
count of his prowess as cavalier and great huntsman. He set aside a large 
tract of land in Canical, stocking it with all sorts of game, from wild boar to 
partridge ; in a few years the game had multiplied to such a degree that the 
preserves could rival with the best on the continent. As soon as Dom 
Manoel heard of it, he wrote to the corporation of Machico, recommending 
them to zealously preserve the park at Canical ; that he had been inf ormed 
of its importance and of the fact that there was no other to equal it in the 
whole island where royalty could hunt wild beasts on the mountain or go 
shooting in case they visited the island some day. That letter remained 
registered on the books of that same corporation. 



HVC03NTX 



% Moniz (without issue) 



art ins Moniz; marrie 



Moniz, first heir of Ang 
jeja. ^ 



Christopher Mo- Donn 

titular bishop. wif 

Fe 



i Moniz; went to Jeroi 
zil (with issue). 



Telles de Mene- Donni 
issu 



wife, Donna Ma- Franc 
niz; 
Mar 



es; wife, Donna Franc 



>zfl:e:e] op 

or M ~ 

Vasco Martins Moniz (vide text). 



"n * Henrique Moniz; second wife. Donna ] 
isig Meneses. 



,,H > v 

Do; Vasco Martins Moniz; third wife, D< 
a i ° anna Teixeira. 



miz > 

UI- Egas Moniz; married 
;nte Donna Maria, daugh- 
ina ter of Affonso Rod- 
rigues. 



Lancarote Mon 
Donna Cath) 
Costa (with 
sion extingu 
their childrei 



: p Duarte Moniz Barreto, 
o£ first mayor of Bahia, 
where he married 
(with issue). 



Henrique Moni 
went to Bras 
ried there. 



Oae Sawyer" (with is- Pedro Moniz dc 
zes; married 
Francisca Net 



ilv 



pa {aria de Bettencourt e Antonio Tavare 
"'iy ria de Meneze 

si 



IoJ- 



1 1 TV.nna Anna /Jp. Vas. Rnrthnlr.mo w T ( 



Z! 



IFIEIDia-IFLimiE OP TH 



53iE! n^onsri^; ze-^zmiul.-st. 



Vasco Martins Moniz (vide text). 



Henrique Moniz; second wife, Donna Igne: 
Meneses. 



Vasco Martins Moniz; third wife, Donna 
anna TeLxeira. 



Garcia Moniz (without issue) (vide text). 



Donna Leonor M oniz, second w if e of Gil Avr» 
(vide text). 



de Vasco Martins Moniz; married Donna Aldonsa Cabral. 



Vasco Gil Moniz , gentleman-in-waiting to the 
Infante Dom Ffedro; second wife. Donna Le- 
onor de Lusig nan, daughter of Phebo de 
Lusignan. 



Jo- Jorje Moniz, first heir of Angeja, from whom descend the Marquises of Phebus Moniz, H»ead Groom of the Bedchamber 
Angeja. of the King Do] n Manuel ; married Donna Ma- 

ria da Cunha, daughter of Goncalvo Correa. 



Francisco Manuel Mo- Henrique Moniz de Me- Philippe Moniz; wife, Egas Moniz; married Lancarote Moniz; v rife, Dom Christopher Mo- Donna Isabel Moniz, Many others who be- Jeronymo Moniz), Groom of the Bedchamber of 

. i « r._£^_ TT, :„„.. A~ T\nr*r*o Uama daliarll. DOnna CatharUll I da T117 titular hlQhftn TlTifil f\f Tfnv + ltnlsfmain txn-rr*** mnnlra anA Tlnr** T rt U« TTT I . _~ I I T. *-. 



niz; second wife, 
Donna Maria Fa villa. 



nezes, married Don- 
na Ignez de Gama- 
cho. 



Donna Francisca da 
Costa. 



Donna Maria, daugh- 
ter of Affonso Rod- 
rigues. 



Costa (with sue 
sion extinguishe 
their children). 



Francisco Manuel Mo- Antonio Moniz Barre- 
niz; wife, Donna to (with issue). 
Perpetua de Men- 
donga. 



Donna Joanna; mar- 
ried Braz Espindola 
(with issue). 



niz, titular bishop. 



wife of Bartholomew 
Perestrello. 



monks and 



Duarte Moniz Barreto, Henrique Moniz Te lies; Diogo Moniz; went to Jeronymo Moniz; went to Brazil (with issue), 

first mayor of Bahia, went to Brazil, iNiar- Brazil (with issue), 

where he married ried there, 

(with issue). I 



Dom John HI.',; married Donna Violante da 
Silva, daughte'r of John de Saldanha and 
Donna Joanna da Silva. 



Phebus Monie; niarried Donna Isabel de Lima, 
daughter of D'om Pedro de Castello Branco, 
proprietor of the Entail of Torres. (Vide 
text.) 



Francisco Moniz de 
Menezes; wife, Don- 
na Genebra de Cas- 
tro e Brito. 



Diogo Moniz. called "the Sawyer" (with is- 
sue in Funchal). 



Pedro Moniz de Mcjne- John Telles de Mene- 
zes; married Dojnna zes. 
Francisca Netto. f 



Donna Joanna Manuel de Menezes (without 
issue). 



— v — 



Luiz Telles de Menezes; lived in Santa Cruz; married his cousin, Donna Maria de Bettencourt e Antonio Tavares d< j Menezes; wife, Donna Ma- Francisco Manuel Mo- Pedro Moniz de Mene- 



Freitas, heiress of John de Bettencourt e Freitas 



ria de Menezes. 



Jeronymo Monizi de Lusignan, Commander of 
the Order of Christ; served in Tangiers; mar- 
ried Donna Ebjrtra de Alarcon, widow of Se- 
bastian da Sil v; a. 



niz; wife t Donna 
Maria Correa. 



zes (with issue). 



Phebus Moniz d/e Torres e Lusignan; married 
Donna Filippaj Coutinbo, daughter of Andre 
Gongalves Ribilifria and Donna Luiza de Al- 
buquerque. Tlhose Ribaf rias are the founders 
of the Counts elf Penamacor. 



John de Bettencourt e FreitaB, who killed a judge in Santa Cruz; married Donna Anna de Vas- Bartholomew Teiitls de Menezes; wife, Donna Francisco de Menezes Barreto; married Donna Donna Luiza MoJ 
concellos, daughter of Belchior Tavares de Sousa. Luiza Espindola.! Marianna Telles de Menezes, daughter of 



Pedro Nicolau Bettencourt, Judge of Keridous; Donna Mecia de Bettencourt e Freitas; mar- Pedro Moniz de 
married Donna Andrea Acchioly. ried (with issue). zes. 



John Jose de Bettencourt de Freitas e Menezes Donno Joanna (with- Donna Guiomar, nun 
(with issue). out issue). in Sta Clara. 



Manuel Antonio 
married, June 
of Alvintes, 



Antonio de Samp 
Chacim, Sam; 
Donna Therea 



liz de Torres e Lusignan. 



ne- Belchior Moniz de Me- Antonio Moniz Tavares de Menezes; married Manuel de Sam| >aio, eleventh heir of Villa of 

oezes. Donna Jacintha Rosa, daughter of Luiz Men- Flor; died May" 14th, 16!)6; second wife, Don- 

des da Camara. na Joanna Lujjiza de Noronha, daughter of 

John de Saldanl ba. 



Francisco Roque Moniz de Menezes; married Francisco Jose ide Sampaio, twelfth heir of 



his cousin Donna Anna, daughter of Braz Mo 
niz Barreto (with succession, extinguished). 



Villa Flor, Fiefd Marshal General and Vice- 
roy of India, inhere he died July 13th, 1723; 
married June 1 5th, 1098, Donna Jeronyma de 
Borbon, daugh ter of Don Antonio de Almei- 
da, second com it of Avintas. 



e Sampaio, born June 17th, 1699; thirteenth heir of Villa Flor. Captain of Horse at Court, and < ommander of various orders: 
5th, 1713, his cousin, Donna Victoria de Borbon, Lady-in-Waiting at the Court, daughter of Doi Luiz de Almeida, third Count 



io Mello Castro Moniz e Torres de Lusignan, born April 26th, 1720; fourteenth heir of Villa I [or. Villas Boas, Villa de Moz, 



aio, Bemposta, and Parada do Pinhan; created first Count of Sampaio December 18th, 1764 
Violante Eva Judith de Daun, daughter of the first Marquis de Pombal. 



married, February 27th, 1759, 



Manuel Antonio Jobaimpaio Mello Castro Moniz Torres de Lusignan, first Marquis arid" second Count of sifiTi 



.„...."■* Jth, 1762: first 
wife, mDeffffto, 1,83, Donna Joaquina Maria Rita Jose Eustaquia de Mello, daughter of the first Marqui"S"»^Saljugosa;" second wife, in 
L63, Donn* Mslria Ignez de Albuquerque Mendonga Furtado, his cousin, heiress of John de Sampaio Mello e Ca6tro. 

« r , _ _ < 

Donna Violinte Maria Rita de Sampaio e Albuquerque de Mendonga Furtado Mello e Castro Moniz Torres de Lusignan, third Countess of 
Sampaio. Ladtf-in- Waiting to the Queens Donna Marian, and Donna Estephania, Lady of the Order of Saint Isabel; married ber uncle, 
Antocio Luiz dfe Sampaio Mello e Castro, who was Colonel of Cavalry, Peer of the Kingdom, Gentlemanin- Waiting to the Princess Donna. 
MarU Franciscb, and to the Infanta Donna Isabel Maria. 



ami nuptials). 



Aitonio Pedro Mai ia da Luz de Sampaio e Albuquerque de Mendonga Furtado Mello e Castro Moniz Torres de Lusignan, actual fifth Count of 
Sampaio; mar. ied (with issue). " 



do 

ried Pedro Correa da Cunha, 1 captain and donee of the island of Gra- 
ciosa, to whom we will have to refer again later on. 

Once again a widower, Bartholomew Perestrello, who was still a 
relatively young man, contracted third nuptials with Donna Isabel 
Moniz, daughter of Vasco Martins Moniz, who at that time lived in 
Machico in grand style, as we observed when we wrote of the Mo- 
nizes. 

This new alliance, the most distinguished of all, and directly con- 
nected with the thread of our history, puts in evidence the moral 
importance of Bartholomew, as well as the confidence inspired by 
the seriousness of his demeanor and the devotion to his work. Only 
those who waded through the old documents and thus acquired a 
knowledge of the pride in their nobility of the Monizes, who were 
sought in alliance by the best houses of Madeira and the continent — 
those only can fully appreciate the conviction and assurance with 
which we trace this biographical note. 

Donna Isabel, to judge from the age of her brothers and sisters, 
must have been at most eighteen years old when she left the paternal 
roof, where she was surrounded by every possible comfort, to follow 
her husband to the island of Porto Santo. There she was his de- 
voted companion during the few years of life still allotted to him. 

We have said somewhere that Bartholomew did not know what 
he asked for when he stipulated for this reward of his services ren- 
dered the Infante Dom John. Of active and enterprising spirit, he 
thought he could manage to cover the rocks and sands of Porto 
Santo with a layer of soil deep enough to transform them into or- 
chards that should give him fruit and shade in his old age. He was 
mistaken, as many others were who obscurely exhausted themselves 
in trying to fertilize pieces of land almost lost sight of in the immen- 

1 Pedro Correa da Cunha was a son of Goncalo Correa, a rich nobleman 
of the time of Dom John, to whom this monarch by Letters Patent of Decem- 
ber 22d, 1411, gave in exchange of the lands of Valladares those of Cunha-a- 
Velha, from whence the son and his descendants took the surname of 
Cunha. 



3G 

sity of the ocean. Many never again knew what it was to enjoy 
life, nor could they make any provision whatsoever for their widows 
and children. 

How many people there may have been, and are still, who as- 
sociate Bartholomew's name and memory with the typical, current 
idea of a feudal lord, arrayed in vestments of Oriental richness, laz- 
ily lifting his eye in order to command, by lavish expenditure of 
gold, all the luxury and voluptuousness a great imagination insti- 
gated by a sensual temperament can suggest ! 

Unfortunate Bartholomew Perestrello ! Unfortunate in the strug- 
gles of life as well as in the anything but respectful manner history 
treated his name. The glory of having casually encountered a 
mountain rising out of mid-ocean was all ! — was all, even in the face 
of thirty years' herculean labor to change the surface of that moun- 
tain, to improve it, to fertilize it with the sweat of his brow and 
many times with his own blood ! 

This strange conception of means most apt to contribute to indi- 
vidual glorification is cruelly exemplified in the historical outlines of 
the donee of Porto Santo. With useless obstinacy years and years 
were spent in trying to find in the misty pages of the chroniclers one 
word, one syllable, that might give force to the supposition that he 
was one of those who first traversed the hundred and odd leagues 
dividing Lisbon from the Madeiran archipelago. 

In order to declare him a nobleman it was invented that he came 
to Portugal from Spain in 1428 with the wife of Dom Duarte, and 
immediately afterward it was asserted that he was a companion of 
Zarco and of Tristan in the discovery of Porto Santo in 1418 ; when 
all that is most sure in respect to his nobility is the verified declara- 
tion made by his father, Philippone Palestrello, in 1399. In order to 
glorify him as a navigator, the flight of fancy reached the point of de- 
claring him the possessor of charts and manuscripts he left to his son- 
in-law Columbus, along with advice as to how to use them ; when it is 
clearly proved that he never knew the man whom his daughter Phi- 
lippa was eventually to marry, he dying when she was five years old. 



37 

In short, for the purpose of getting for Bartholomew two lines of 
panegyric more to the taste of his successors than to his own, taking 
into account his toilsome life, it was necessary to make him out 
as of noble birth, and principally to characterize him as a navi- 
gator, according to the fashion predominant in the epoch in which 
he lived. 

They thought it best to erect on sand a pedestal of glories, while 
never an eye did they cast upon his life, full of struggles and labors ; 
whereas the resignation with which he bore difficulties and disap- 
pointments, and the constancy and high-mindedness he evinced in 
his labors, are much surer titles to our admiration than the casual 
fact they tried to attribute to him. 

The palm of having discovered his island does not belong to the 
first governor and donee of' Porto Santo, but he possesses the legi- 
timate right to put on his head the halo of a martyr of labor — a most 
valiant social consecration in all times and epochs. 

Death surprised him at his post in the year 1457, he being then 
little over 50 years old ; he left his family in precarious pecuniary 
circumstances, since the governorship of his island absorbed every- 
thing, from the marriage portions of his wives, the donations he ob- 
tained in different ways from the crown, down to his own health ; 
so much capital sunk there not returning sufficient for the modest 
maintenance of his widow and their two children, Bartholomew and 
Philippa, left fatherless in their tenderest age. 

Bartholomew Perestrello died in the city of Baleira, on the island 
of Porto Santo, and, as far as can be ascertained from most trust- 
worthy sources, it seems he was buried in the parish church of Our 
Lady of Pity. 



IT. 



DONNA ISABEL MONIZ GUARDIAN OP HER CHILDREN— THE SALE 
OF PORTO SANTO TO PEDRO CORREA — A FAMILY QUESTION — 
THE COMING OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS TO MADEIRA — 
THE EPOCH OF HIS BIRTH — HIS ORIGIN AND NATION- 
ALITY — MARRIAGE OF COLUMBUS AND DONNA 
PHILIPPA MONIZ DE MELLO — THE OBSCURE 
LIFE OF THE MARRIED PAIR — THE BIRTH 
OF THEIR ONLY SON — DEATH OF 
DONNA PHILIPPA. 



y?^f| VERTAKEN by widowhood, Donna Isabel Moniz hesi- 
fj|^|l g| tated but a short time between the remembrance of her 
»f^|f#JI husband that bound her to Porto Santo, and the im- 
;\^^j|y possibility of remaining in the governorship, where 
fz&^v^ 3 * she had to provide for her own support as well as that 
of her two children by administration work altogether beyond her 
strength as a woman — work which had cost the unfortunate Bar- 
tholomew so very dear. 

The eldest child, who was christened after his father, had just 
reached his seventh year, and the little sister, Philippa, counted two 
years less than he. True, Donna Isabel had been named guardian 
of her son during his minority, jointly with her brother, Diogo Gil 
Moniz, who was to administrate with her the governorship for her 
son and heir ; but this brother, much occupied with his own affairs, 
that obliged him often to absent himself, had little time to devote 
to the exigencies of a guardianship that could not dispense the ener- 
getic presence of a man. 

Under such imperative circumstances Donna Isabel Moniz left 



40 

Porto Santo and returned with her children to Machico, where she 
installed herself in the house of her father, Vasco Martins Moniz, 
who was always keenly alive to the interests of his beloved daugh- 
ter during her husband's life, and who gladly sheltered her and her 
children in her widowhood, providing for them with his fortune and 
the treasures of his loving heart. 

If until then the cultivation of Porto Santo did not commend 
itself by its results, in spite of having at its head a man of the 
nervous temperament of Bartholomew Perestrello, failing he or a 
substitute with at least half his painstaking and daring energy the 
island would infallibly become more unproductive still — a gulf, ab- 
sorbing every care and money. 

Fearing these negative results, that would have not only rendered 
the present situation much worse, but would, above all, have put in 
jeopardy the future of her son, Donna Isabel obtained the consent of 
the other tutor to sell the governorship to Pedro Correa da Cunha, 
brother-in-law of the minor heir, Correa having been, as we have al- 
ready stated, married to Donna Izeu Perestrello, a daughter of Bar- 
tholomew's second marriage. 

The price of this transaction is stated to have been three hundred 
thousand reis in gold, paid at once, and an annuity of thirty thou- 
sand reis. There exists, however, another version about this sale. 
The Infante Dom Henrique, in consenting to the transfer by Royal 
Letter dated May 17th, 1458, mentions a yearly allowance of ten 
thousand reis : " . . . the aforesaid island, whose jurisdiction is 
mine, to my pleasure it was arranged on the part of the aforesaid 
young man and Pedro Correa, noble of my household, according to 
the latter's showing, in such manner that the aforesaid Pedro Correa 
leaves to the aforesaid young man ten thousand reis which he had 
from me every year as pension on account of his marriage, a thou- 
sand dobras, each dobra being worth one hundred and twenty reis, 
according to the money value of this kingdom. " 

Dom Affonso V, ratified the deed of his uncle on August 17th, 
1459. 



41 

Free from care after the transfer of the governorship of Porto 
Santo, Donna Isabel Moniz, who was at that time little over 25 
years old, refused every new affection and dedicated herself exclu- 
sively to the education of her children. The elements at her com- 
mand in her father's house must have been of the greatest assist- 
ance to her in her task, because everybody of distinction in the 
army frequented her father's hospitable mansion, as did also men of 
literary attainments quite notable for those times. 

Raised among such surroundings, the young Bartholomew soon 
demonstrated his valor and inclination for a military life by joining 
the Portuguese forces then fighting in Africa, where Portugal was 
engaged in continual warfare, either for the ambitious purpose of 
new conquests, or from necessity in order to maintain the dominion 
already conquered against local insurrections. 

Although the personal means at Donna Isabel's command were 
very limited, she made every sacrifice in order that her son should 
want nothing that might be of use to him in the uncertainty of the 
fortune he was in search of. She took pride in his presenting him- 
self fully armed and equipped, including other more or less costly 
accessories with which it was customary to demonstrate the noble 
and rich descent of the young men who went to serve their country 
and king. 

Bartholomew Perestrello came to court under the protection of 
the influential relations of his grandfather, Vasco Moniz, and the 
sympathetic memory of his father. He at once embarked on a fleet 
that was about to sail for Laraclie just as he arrived in Lisbon.' 

1 In order not to make these notes more voluminous than the text itself, 
we omit reference to many documents which we may perhaps publish after 
having concluded the book from which we extract the present smaller work. 
However, as a specimen of the progress in nautical science of that epoch , we 
give integral the opinion about the shortest way the ships ought to take for 
Larache : 

"Sire :— I spoke with the pilots who are in this city studying the route to 
take to the Cape of Santa Maria. Sire, Laraclie is situated to the southeast 

\ 



42 

Returning to Madeira after an absence of about five years, insti- 
gated by another brother-in-law, Mem Rodrigues de Vasconcellos, 
he commenced suit against Pedro Correa for the annulment of the 
deed of sale of Porto Santo given by his mother and his uncle, 
Diogo Moniz. Thanks to efficient means employed by Mem Rod- 
rigues, the suit was decided in favor of Bartholomew, and this lat- 
ter reinstated in his governorship b} r an order dated March loth, 
1473, he to repay his brother-in-law, with the income derived from 
the island, the sums already received up to date, according to the 
stipulations of the respective contract. ' 

Donna Isabel Moniz, with much reason, must have been greatly 
annoyed and offended bj r this sudden and somewhat exceptional act 
of her son, who, quite forgetting the many sacrifices she had made 
for him, allowed himself to be led, b3* the revengeful suggestions of 
Mem Rodrigues against Pedro Correa, to disavow in such a formal 
manner the acts of her guardianship, instead of hastening to clasp 
her in filial embrace on his so much sighed and prayed-for return. 

Many widows, not possessing the means necessary, or not being 

and Cale to the southwest, as also Azamor. We must sail toward the south 
six leagues to windward of Anafe, and if Your Highness desires that your 
fleet continue to go windward, it will be necessary to navigate a quarter to 
the southeast and take Cape Camelo, which is twelve leagues distant from 
Azamor, and when in a hundred fathoms of water the bottom must be well 
sounded ; after having done so, the fleet must continue on to Azamor, and as 
soon as that city is sighted calm weather will have to be waited for, good 
wind and favorable tide, in order to enter the port. 

"The pilots: John Rua, John Goncalves, Gonsalo Pinto, Antonio d'Oli' 
veira, Simon Lourenco, etc." 

1 We find no proofs whatever that Pedro Correa da Cunha fixed his resi- 
dence in Porto Santo during the time of his governorship, nor that he did so 
in Graciosa, of which island he was donee, though some writers assert that 
he did depart for that island in 1485. On the contrary, the only thing 
positive we find is that he lived on his farm in Charneca, near Lisbon, where 
he died in 1499. We also find nothing to justify the epithet of adventurer 
applied to Pedro Correa, any more than the fame of navigator that was 
attributed to him. 



43 

able to overcome other difficulties in order to administer properties 
held in trust for minor sons, did as Donna Isabel did — that is, they 
converted the property into a more or less equivalent sum, which 
sum, if it did not admit of complete pecuniary ease, at least repre- 
sented a net income free from any charge whatsoever. Even inij[ 
special cases of which we know, where the import of the sale turned 
out a good bargain for the buyer only, or this import had been di- 
verted from its legitimate purpose, the first act of the sons on attain- 
ing their majority was to declare their entire conformity with the 
acts of the guardians, and to petition the king to declare them valid, 
thus providing against any claims that might have been set up by 
future heirs. 

Thus we are in a position to thoroughly appreciate the great dis- 
pleasure of Donna Isabel, as well as the high influences that induced 
Dom Affonso V. to reconsider in 1473 his act of confirmation in 
1459. 

After this anything but affectionate conduct Bartholomew Peres- 
trello and his mother separated, the latter possessing only one com- 
pensation for the many and pertinacious troubles of her life, in her 
daughter, Donna Philippa, whose affectionate love had mitigated 
the longings for the son during the hazards of his African life ; she 
found herself once more alone with her in this contemptible family 
intrigue. 

Donna Philippa Moniz de Mello was then about 21 years of age. 
It is hardly likely that even in the golden flights of fancy of that 
age she should ever have conceived the thought of becoming the 
chosen of the heart of a man to whom fate reserved a historical im- 
portance and a universal name, such as he himself, to a certainty, 
was far from imagining in the professional obscurity of his early 
years. 

We refer to Christopher Columbus, who in 1474 came to Madeira, 1 

1 The epoch of Columbus 1 arrival varies according to different -writers 
from 1470 to 1474, this latter date prevailing, as much in view of many facts 



44 

brought along in the great current of his countrymen, the Spinolas, 
Cezares, Uzadamari, Cataneos, Salvagos, Lomellinos, Dorias, Gri- 
maldi, etc. — a current derived, above all, during the middle and the 
end of the fifteenth century, from the shores of Italy to that archi- 
pelago, and from thence to the continent. 

Just as they did, so did Columbus come in search of fortune to 
Portugal, of the attractions of which, for the peoples of Europe, we 
have already treated with all possible extension in a preceding chap- 
ter. Belonging to a workingman's family, cradled in the valley of 
Fontanabuona, on the confines of Genoa, the celebrated navigator 
was born near the city of that name, where his father, Domenico 
Colombo, had already resided in 1430, following his business of a 
weaver of woollen goods, which was the means of livelihood of al- 
most all the members of that family, including the self -same Chris- 
topher Columbus, before leaving for Portugal. 1 

Pecuniary reverses or the necessity of procuring means for the 
voyage of the son, or both motives jointly, obliged Domenico to sell, 
in 1473, one or two houses he possessed in Genoa, he living that year 
with his family in Savona, where Christopher figures for the last 
time as witness in a law deed of August 7th of that year. 

At the time of his arrival here he was 38 years of age — or 28, if 
we accept on the one hand the assertion of Andre Bernaldes that 
Columbus, his friend and guest at the time of his death in 1506, was 
70 years old ; or if, on the other hand, we uphold more confidingly 
the modern investigations giving the Admiral as born in 1446. 

Once landed in Madeira, the daring Genoese immediately set 
about getting acquainted with the important families of the archi- 
pelago, through his compatriots already established. He insinuated 
himself by his sympathetic manners, his fluent speech, which many 
took for proof of great instruction, and finally by his taking advan- 

of his life that cannot be given space in these notes, considering their special 
object, as well as in view of facts the reader will soon learn. 

1 The proofs of this assertion consist in documents in which he appears as 
witness, with declaration of this business being his occupation. 



45 

tage of the fraternal predisposition of the Portuguese toward the 
Italian immigrants, who were much liked, whether in the ordinary 
occupations of life, acquiring the good-will of the chiefs of families, 
or in the amorous adventures and most beautiful progeny, as far as 
the young female portion of the inhabitants went, who looked de- 
spairingly on the gallant Portuguese youth going off to Africa to 
die there unmarried, or to come back with hair whitened by the hard- 
ships of ocean and battlefield. 

The very Donna Philippa Moniz de Mello, of whom it is said she 
was a very handsome j^oung girl, demonstrated the case in the alli- 
ance of the Monizes and Perestrellos, already mixed with the blood of 
the Teixeiras ; and this rapid incidental sketch of Donna Philippa, 
made by a genealogist, reveals to us a marriage of simple affection 
contracted with Christopher Columbus. 

In spite of all researches, we could find not one clear and well-de- 
fined reference to any marriage portion she might have received or 
properly inherited from her father. And what could old Bartholo- 
mew have left her, he who buried all his substance in Porto Santo ? 
The mother, Donna Isabel Moniz, saw herself forced to take refuge 
under the paternal roof, in order to be able to properly raise and edu- 
cate the two orphans ; the grandfather, old Vasco Moniz, although 
very rich, had no less than sixteen children, enough to make him 
poor ; lastly, as far as we cor id ascertain, the royal coffers also did 
not open to animate the future of that sympathetic couple. 

It is, however, possible that in some recess, to which we could get 
as yet no access, there might be found some facts that would modify 
our opinion. Should they be discovered, it would be one sad impres- 
sion the less that the contemplation of the domestic life of Donna 
Philippa Moniz and her husband causes us. 

On the other hand, what did Christopher Columbus bring from 
Genoa ? If anything came to him from the product of the sale 
effected by his father on the eve of Christopher's departure for Por- 
tugal, little could be left, over and above the travelling expenses, for 
his maintenance at first until fortune should smile upon him or open 



46 

some way or other for earning a living. The fact is that he must 
have worked hard either to sustain himself while alone, or to provide, 
however poorly, for the indispensable exigencies of his married life. 
Did he draw sea maps and charts ? Where did he learn to do so ? 
Did he open a shop or a boarding house? Did he exercise any other 
branch of activity that one could conjecture or discover? This is 
certainly an important question for the study of Christopher Colum- 
bus the discoverer of America, but of very secondary order for 
Christopher Columbus the husband of Donna Philippa Moniz de 
Mello. 

In the simple poverty in which the two present themselves to us, 
we see them attracted by a mutual affection which the bands of wed- 
lock consecrated in 1475, most probably. 1 The religious act was 
celebrated in Machico, and it seems that the young couple went im- 
mediately, in company with Donna Isabel, to live in Funchal, resi- 
dence preferred by Columbus, because he thus remained in direct 
contact with the whole maritime movement. 3 

In 1476 Diogo Columbus was born, the only fruit of this union, 
the little fecundity of which has been to us an object of some reflec- 
tion, when we consider the healthy stock both Donna Philippa and 

1 As regards sevei*al dates, we fully agree with the conscientious work of 
the erudite academician, Don Jose Maria Asensio : ' ' The remains of Chris- 
topher Columbus are in Havana. Seville, 1331."' 

2 Porto Santo also claims the glory of having been the temporary 
residence of Christopher Columbus. We cannot find any cause that could 
have attracted him to that place. Both mother-in-law and wife had nothing 
to do there with the governorship from 1458 to 1473, on account of the 
former having sold it to Pedro Correa; and it was certainly not likely that 
after the latter date, when the sentence of annulment of the sale effected by 
Donna Isabel had been passed in favor of her son, she should have asked 
hospitality of that son. 

Columbus, rather irreverently compared to Christ, the Saviour, by some 
enthusiasts, was, in spite of his colossal historical proportions, altogether too 
small for the many places that claim to be his cradle, his residence, and his 
grave. 



47 

Columbus sprang from, as well as a few facts several writers hint at 
with regard to the epoch of that lady's death. 

In Pina Loureiro's genealogical work, whose twenty-eight 
volumes have been most useful to us, we see the confirmation of 
our suspicion that the death of Columbus' -wife must have followed 
quite close upon the birth of her son. Before the name of Donna 
Philippa is to be read the summary notice, "that she did not live 
long after the birth of her son." Did she die in childbed ? Did she 
enjoy only a few days or weeks of the ineffable happiness of being a 
mother ? 

This species of revelation, which by itself cannot define an 
epoch, contains a fact in the life of Columbus that has a certain 
logical value in turning that life less vague, which has much im- 
pressed us. This fact consists in the departure of the daring navi- 
gator for the Arctic regions in 1477. 

We observe Columbus got married in 1475, had a son born to 
him in 1476, and left for a most dangerous voyage in 1477, there 
existing no-known engagements of an}? - kind, or plans conceived and 
matured beforehand. The rapid succession of the three facts has a 
something of mystery about it, on account of the precipitation of the 
latter. Reason and heart alike refuse to believe that the peaceful 
life of Columbus and Donna Philippa, who saw their union blessed 
and their poor home gladdened by the birth of a son, should, in the 
very year following this event, be rudely disturbed by a long separa- 
tion, without a sudden and powerful motive. 

The above transcribed phrase, and the fact of this rather violent 
separation, concur in perfect harmony in fixing the epoch of Donna 
Philippa's death as between the birth of the son and the voyage of 
her husband to the northern seas. 

The grandmother of the little boy-child was to take the place of 
the mother, substituting her love and care for that of which death 
deprived the poor infant all too soon. The father, profoundly 
wounded in his passionate attachment to his wife, took one of those 
extreme resolutions in which great moral sufferings sometimes end. 



48 

However this may be, it is undeniable that Donna Philippa died 
very young. Even if we were to admit the supposition that she 
lived up to 1484, at which epoch Christopher Columbus went to 
Spain, she would not have been above 30 years old. But we have 
very good grounds for believing that she only attained to the age of 
25 years. 

And very early it was to die, particularly when the future, with 
its inscrutable secrets, reserved to her husband days of fame and 
fortune, to part of which she was entitled as compensation for priva- 
tions suffered through the pertinacious misfortunes of her father, as 
well as through the love she bore the man to whom, though he was 
as poor as she herself, she united her destinies. 

Donna Philippa Moniz de Mello died in Funchal, and, to judge 
from various indications, she was buried in the parish church of 
that same city. 1 

1 Columbus' life in Portugal, as well as that of his family, was always 
represented more or less romantically, even by the only ones who could 
have furnished sure and true dates so as to reconstitute it. On this chaos, 
however, some light is beginning to dawn. From his own autobiographical 
writings, from those attributed to Don Fernando, his bastard offspring, and 
from the declarations of Don Diogo Columbus, his legitimate son, many 
points are to-day documentally established, forcing us at the same time to 
reserve our opinion about others upon which history has not yet pronounced 
a veredictum. 

The legend of his love in Lisbon, the death of his wife in that city, and 
her sepulture in a chapel of the monastery of the Carmo — all this is so dis- 
jointed from the great chain of epochs, persons, places, and verified facts 
that no great effort is needed to overthrow it altogether. 

Moreover, we tried to find out if, perhaps, the mortal remains of Donna 
Philippa had been transferred from Madeira to that convent. There is no 
notice whatever of any such thing, although the registers of burials are, up 
to to-day, still tolerably complete. Perhaps this version has its origin in 
the fact that there still exists the chapel of "Nossa Senhora da Piedade," 
founded by Gil Ayres, married to Donna Leonor Moniz, of the distinguished 
family of Columbus' mother-in-law. 



PEDIGEEE OF COLUMBUS. 



Emerico Colombo 
married and had issue : 

Giovanni Colombo 

married and had issue : 

Domenico Colombo 

married to Susanna Fontanarossa, daughter of Giacomo 

Fontarossa, and had issue : 

Christopher Columbus, 

married to Donna Philippa Moniz de Mello, daughter of Bartholomew 

Perestrello and of Donna Isabel Moniz, and had issue : 

Don Diogo Colon, 

born 1476, in the island of Madeira, first Marquis of Jamaica and 

first Duke of Veragua, married to Donna Maria de Toledo y 

Rojas. Had issue. 



WORKS CONSULTED. 

Manuscripts and published works by Viscount Sanches de Baena. 

Various documents in the archives of the Torre do Tombo in 
Lisbon. 

" Genealogical Studies/' by Pina Loureiro (the original rubricated 
by the author). 

" Coroa da Nbbreza dTtalia," by Pedro Crescente. 

" Historia Genealogica" and other works by Dom Antonio 
Caetano de Sousa. 

" Nbbiliario " and other works by Dom Francisco Piferrer. 

" Non plus ultra da Nobreza da Madeira/' by J. A. P. d'Agrella 
(original). 

" Historical Studies," by Manoel Pinheiro Chagas. 

" Los Restos de Cristoval Colon estan en la Habana," by Don 
Jose Maria Asensio. 

" De la Decouverte de PAmerique," by Luciano Cordeiro. 

" As Saudades da Terra," by Dr. Gaspar Fructuoso, with notes 
by Dr. Alvaro Rodrigues de Azevedo. 

"Vie et Voyages de Christophe Colomb," by J. Girardin. 

" Genealogical Studies," by Alao de Moraes. 

" Genealogical Studies," by Affonso de Torres. 

" Genealogical Manuscript" (original), by A. Feo C. de Castello 
Branco. 

" Genealogias," by M. Tenreiro de Mello e Simas (original). 
i " Chronicas of Portuguese Kings." 

And many other historical books, national as well as foreign. 



7ERNORS AND 1 



Gabriele Palestrellc 



Philippone Palestrello ai 



Bartholomew Perestrello, first 
Second wife, Donna Brites Furtado de Mend< 

lendonga Furtado, wife of Donna Izeu Per 



h issue;. 



da Cunha (wit 



Bartholomew Perestrello, third Donee ol 



ted for having without any Manuel Perestr 
,s Donee. died quite old 



rs of May 29th, 1545; married Donna Joanna i 



auel Soares Perestrello; married to Donna 
ved separated from her (without issue;. 



chior Perestrello da Ca- Balthasar Pere 
lara mara. 

ese two brothers went to Didia in the ship St. 
. ,nd died there. 



i Donee and governor of Porto Santo by roya 



iourt Vasconcellos; studied Paulo Freire d 
;0 uld not obtain his degree, cellos; marr 
milty of the death of Pedro Sousa e Ara§ 
donga. March 8th. 1680; mar- 
ana Theresa Maria Heredia 



tten- Victorianno Betten- MathiasBette 
i. court. 



PEDIGREE OF THE GOVERNORS AND DONEES OP THE ISLAND OP POR 



:ro 



SANTO. 



Gabriele Palestrello a ad his wife, Bartholine Bif orte. 



Philippone Palestrello and 



Bartholomew Perestrello, first D 



First wife, Donna Margarida Martins (no chil- 
dren). 



Second wife, Donna Brites Furtado de Mendonc a 



his wife, Donna Catherina de Mello. 



;>nee of Porto Santo, married three times: 



Third wife, Donna Isabel Moni: 



Donna Catharina Furtado de Mendonga, wife Donna Phillppa de Mendonga Furtado, wife of Donna Izeu Perest rello, wife of Pedro Correa Bartholomew Perestrello, second Donee of Por- Donna Philip 



of Mem Kodrigues de Vascoucellos (with 
issue) 



John Teixeira (with issue) 



da Cunha (with 



ssue). 



Bartholomew Perestrello, third Donee of Po 



to Santo; married to Donna Guiomar Teix- 
eira. 



Christopher 
ca; who wa 
and Comma 



First wife, Donna Alonsa da Camara. 



rto Santo, married twice : 

Second wife, Donna Solana Texeira, his cousin. 



pa Moniz de Mello, married to 
Columbus, discoverer of Amerl- 
s created first Admiral, viceroy, 
nder -in-Chief of the West Indies. 



DonDiosro Co ; '° n - born ln the Is,an i 1 of Ma . a S ,r * 
in 1476 • flnJt Marquis of Jamaica and first 
in 1410, lira* «,. , . ,-,,., „„ married 



to Donna 1 
issue). 



— v 1 ; ' 

Garcia Perestrello; married Donna Maria Tavelra, and was decapitated for having without any Manuel Perestrello was blind; Jeronymo Perestrello; married Donna Francisca Perestrello; 
reason killed his wife; he never was recognized on that account as Donee. died quite old, without issue. a Donna Elvira; died without married to John Rodriquez 



Colago (with issue). 



Dlogo Soares Perestrello, fourth Donee of Porto Santo by royal letters of May 29th, 1546; married Donna Joanna de C stro. Ambrosio Perestrello, Carmelite monk. Two daughters, nuns in the Convent of I :he Incarnation 



Diogo Taveira Perestrello Miforli, fifth Donee of Porto Santo Manuel Soares Perestrello; married to Donna Ms 
by royal letter of July 18th, 1578 ; married Donna Maria da lived separated from her (without issue). 
Camara. 



ria Lobo; Andre Soares Perestrello (with- Donna Joanna de Castro Perestrello; marriecjl Duarte Martins Tavares In 157» 
out issue). (had issue). 



Donna Francisca Perestrello, sixth Donee of Porto Santo by Belchior Perestrello da Ca- Balthasar Perestre' 

royal letter of January 24th, 1(158; married November 22d, mara. mara. 

1017, Vietorino BettenoOUTt do Vuseoueellos, who died iu May, These two brothers went to India in the ship St. Fili{ 

10511; she died ln 1050. and died there. 



Diogo de Bettencourt Perestrello, born iu 1018, in September, seventh Donee and governor of Porto Santo by royal lett ers of December 23d, 1653; married Donna Luiza Agostinha de Noronha 



agua; died in 1520, was married 
laria de Toledo y Rojas (with 



D da Ca- Donna Maria Peres- 
trello, whom her 

pe in 1604, father killed while 
she was still un- 
married. 



Gaspar Perestrello; 
had with Maria de 
Miranda an illegiti- 
mate son, who also 
had illegitimate 
issue. 



Donna F6 Perestrel- 
lo; married Janu- 
ary 7th, 1025, John 
Baptista Achyolys 
(without issue). 



Donna Am 
trello; ma 
tonio DI 
issue). 



la Peres- 
rried An- 
(with 



Donna Catharina Pe- 
restrello; married 
Affonso Va/. da 
Corte (without is- 
sue). 



Stephen llettenemirt Perestrello de Vasconcel- 
Iob, eiqhth and last Donee and Governor of 
Porto Santo by royal letters of 'Jlut- May, 1682; 
married in Machico Douna Jacliitlm de Men 
donga Vaseoneollos, daughter of Matheus de 
Mendonga Vascoucellos. 



Vletorinno Bettencourt Vasconcellos; studied Paulo Freire de No 
in Coimbra, but could not obtain his degree, cellos; married in 
for having been guilty of the death of Pedro 
Furtado de Mendonga. March 8th, 1680; mar- 
ried in 1687 Donna Theresa Maria Heredia 
(with issue). 



ronha Bettencourt Vascon- 
Calbeta Donna Angela de 
Sousa e Aragon Pith issue). 



John Bettencourt Pe- Dlogo Bettencourt FD> John Freire Betten- Victorianno Betten- Mathias Bettencoui t 
restrello; died very villa Perestrello. court da Camara. court, 

young. 



Donna Clara Maria do Desterro Bettencourt Donna Bernst^ina Bettencourt (without issue). 
Vasconcellos, nun in the Convent of Sta 



Nicolau Bettencourt. 



Donna Maria de Cama- Donna Clara 
ra e Noronha Bet- court, 
tcncourt. 



Betten- Donna Luiza Bettenr 
court. 




1893. 

"If 

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



011 642 674 2 



Qoat-of-€U<ms 



of tPie 



STlonir cFamifu, 



